Burned
by Black Phoenix Risen
Summary: Far away from Arendelle, a malevolent leader and his pyrokenetic brother plan world domination. The only thing that poses a threat to their conquest is Queen Elsa and her ice powers. Will the new Queen, her sister, her friends, and the trolls be able to stop the fiery war machine? Or will Elsa find her match in her searing opponent? Rated T for violence and adult themes.
1. Spies in the Desert

I do not own Frozen or any of the hipster four. I do own my OCs and original locations

Chapter 1: Spies in the Desert

Far from Arendelle, over oceans and mountains, deserts and canyons, a cloaked man stood on a sandy dune. He was overlooking a large, sandstone, walled city that stretched out for miles before him. In the distance, a bell rang twelve times; it was the midnight hour. The new moon cast no light over the hill.

As the sound of the bells faded over the desert landscape, the man turned. As expected, his contact was walking up the sand.

"What news?" asked the man.

His contact pulled down his hood. "Only the military is privy to the information you've asked for."

The man rubbed his chin. "Can you gain access to military records?"

"I already did," said the contact, "I got a lot of info about their formations and such, but their so-called 'secret weapon' is completely off the books."

The man sighed. "Did you get anything out of the ordinary?"

"Yes," said the contact, "Their next target."

The man straightened up. "Where are they headed next?"

The contact grimaced. "Arendelle."

"Arendelle? Why?"

"All I found out is that Caliph Mehmed considers Queen Elsa a threat to his conquests. I suspect it has to do with-" An arrow landed with a soft chunk in the sand between them. For a moment, they stared at it in silence together.

"Did you make sure you weren't followed?" asked the man, already knowing the answer.

"You try evading an entire squadron of guards," grumbled the contact as he crouched down. Arrows and spears pierced the sand around them as a host of soldiers wearing black cloths wrapped around their bodies charged towards them. The man and his contact raced down the far side of the hill.

"We have to warn Queen Elsa!" shouted the man.

His contact nodded grimly as an arrow landed just behind his heel. "My horse is just over the next dune." Eagerly, the two dashed up the sand. As they reached the crest of the dune, they stared down in despair.

"Where's the horse?"

"I left it right here!" A spear shot through the contact's shoulder and he cried out in pain. The contact fell to the ground and pushed the man forwards. "Go! Warn the queen!" The man stumbled on and tumbled down the hill. He didn't look back as he ran across the desert landscape. He lost track of the time he spent running, but slowly the arrows and spears that landed around him began to become less and less frequent as he moved further and further away from the city.

Finally, the sun poked its head over the eastern horizon. The man panted in exhaustion as he slowed down and risked a glance over his shoulder. The desert was slowly being illuminated and he saw an empty expanse of land, devoid of guards.

"Peter," said the man, breathing heavily, "Your sacrifice will not be in vain, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." The man swiveled around in time to see a massive ball of fire hurtling towards his face. He yelped and dove to the ground. The fireball seared over him, scorching his cloak. The man struggled to his feet and dashed away. A line of straight fire erupted at his feet and he stumbled back with a yell as a wall of flame grew before him.

"You're him, aren't you?" said the man as he shuffled backwards, "The caliph's secret weapon." He bumped into something solid and he turned to see a tall, muscular young man. His hands were engulfed in fire and he stared down at the smaller man.

"Surrender and I'll go easy on you."

The man raised his fists, sweat pouring down his face from both fear and the heat. "If I don't check back in with my captain soon, Corona will declare war!"

The man with flaming hands sighed. "I'll take that as a no."

. . .

Please review!

I know this doesn't quite look like a Frozen fanfic, but trust me, it'll get there.


	2. Stupid Politics

Same disclaimers as before. I also don't own any Disney character period.

Chapter 2: Stupid Politics

Queen Elsa of Arendelle had her head in her hands. Before her was a letter from a distant kingdom written on expensive and decorative stationary. Behind her, one of her two advisors knitted quietly.

"Calypsa," Elsa said, "Can you look over this and make sure I'm reading this right?" She handed the paper beck to the older, olive-skinned woman. Calypsa and her twin brother Ajax were born in a distant land and had traveled the world their entire lives before settling down in Arendelle. They had often been an asset to Elsa's parents, but she was beginning to suspect that she had called on their services more in the six months she had been queen then her father's entire decades-long reign.

Calypsa looked over the letter, her old hands shaking slightly. "It would appear," she said finally, "That the Kingdom of the Southern Isles wishes to re-open the trade routes you closed."

"I thought so," muttered Elsa. She stood and paced around her throne. Her footsteps echoed around the large hall. In the far corner, Ajax whittled quietly with an old hunting knife.

Elsa walked up to the wall behind her throne. It was made of rough wood, covered in bumps and rises with no discernable pattern. Elsa raised her hand and a wave of frost covered the wall. With the white dust covering its various nooks and crannies, the wall revealed its true form; a large map of the known world. Elsa traced her hand over the map until her finger landed on Arendelle. A large snowflake grew out of her fingertip to mark her kingdom.

"We sit at a unique crossroad in the world," said Elsa to herself, "If the Scottish chiefs want to trade their lumber for the Kaiser's wheat," she traced the route with her finger, a line of snow following it, "They need our permission to pass through the Arendelle Strait. If the King of Corona wants to send his textiles to the Czar for his steel, he has a choice. He can send a ship on a three-year journey around the continent, or he can make a month-long trek around Queen's Peak." She traced the route again, her finger just skirting her kingdom. "And now, so soon after their betrayal, the Southern Isles want to sail their livestock to us in exchange for our ice?" Elsa glared at the map and struck it with a grunt. Where her fist hit the wood, a shockwave of snow blew out, scattering the frost and ruining the map.

Calypsa didn't look up from her knitting. "So will you refuse them?"

Elsa sat back down in her throne and sighed. "I don't know. Probably."

In the corner, Ajax cackled, exposing his few remaining teeth to the world. "If you refuse them, then one of three things will happen. The best case scenario is that they'll send their armada to dethrone you and annex Arendelle."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Just for some ice?"

"It's not about the ice, Queen Elsa," said Calypsa, "It's about the trade. You said it yourself; Arendelle is a highly profitable trade center. If the Southern Isles need something desperately, but you refuse to send them the goods they need, then war is their only option."

"And they aren't the only ones who rely on our trade," said Ajax. He flipped the wooden stake he had whittled and tossed it lazily. It landed with a thunk in the far wall, joining the dozens of other wooden weapons he had made. Without missing a beat, Ajax withdrew a fresh piece of wood from his pocket and began carving it.

"We won't lie, Elsa," said Calypsa. She held up the socks she was knitting and sighed in disappointment. "Still not as good as mother's. Regardless," she tucked the socks into her pocket. "If the Southern Isles don't invade if you refuse them, other nations will see you as favoring some of them over others. As preemptive measures, they'll invade to secure their control over the trade centers."

Elsa groaned. "And the third option?"

"We live in a mountainous region, my queen," said Ajax, "Our farmlands are small and our herds lacking. We need others as much as they need us. Without constant imports from other lands, we'd starve on our own resources."

"So we need access to the Southern Isles' livestock?"

"Precisely." Elsa rubbed her temples. She really was starting to hate this job. Unfortunately, she would never know just how her father managed the stress of having an entire kingdom on his shoulders. Maybe that was what the epaulettes were for.

"You're my advisors, what do you advise?" she asked. Calypsa and Ajax looked at each other and shrugged simultaneously. "Really, guys? Nothing at all?" She muttered in despair.

"If you accept the Southern Isles proposal, you may appear weak and vulnerable." Said Ajax, "If you don't, you'll appear threatening and dangerous."

"If you want to build up your military, it'll cause suspicion and fear in the other countries," said Calypsa, "If you keep such a small army, you'll be an easy target for anyone to attack."

Elsa stared at them. "But you approved my rescinding of our trade contract with Weselton!"

"Pssh!" muttered Calypsa, "Weselton's salt mines were running dry anyway. Besides, they were ripping your father off for years."

Ajax cackled. "We told him he was getting a bum deal, but what did he say? It would be bad for the country's image. Ha! As wise a leader as your father was, he always cared too much about appearances."

"Now Ajax," chided Calypsa, "In internationally politics, appearances are important!"

"Appearances can be deceiving," Ajax pointed out, "Nobody knew Elsa had her powers for 18 years."

Elsa rubbed her forehead in frustration. "How do my powers factor into any of this?"

Ajax shrugged. "I'm just saying. You hid an important aspect of yourself. Would your powers have affected international trade? Probably not. But any of the countries we trade with could be planning to pull a fast one on Arendelle at any time."

Elsa snarled, her fists clenching. In a way, the twins were her best and worst advisers. They told her what she needed to hear, but not what she wanted to hear. "So what should I do?"

"You cannot fight an entire army by yourself, my queen," said Ajax dryly, "Our advice can only do so much for you. The ultimate decision of the direction this kingdom will take belongs to its queen."

Elsa leaned back in her throne. "I need some alone time," she said with a sigh, "Do you guys mind?" Ajax and Calypsa bowed slightly and left. Elsa waited until she heard their footsteps walk down the hall before she stood up. For a moment, she just stared at the paper before her. Finally, she screamed in anger and grabbed the letter. As she tore it up, the paper shreds mixed with the flurry of snow that grew around her. A vortex of frost and paper formed and she tossed her hands up. With a wild yell, snow scattered around the room, covering everything in a layer of winter.

Elsa panted and clenched her fist. The large doors to the throne room swung open and her sister, Anna came skipping in, humming a tune with her eyes closed. Elsa glared at her oblivious sister as the happy red-head cart-wheeled and tumbled around the room, snow rising and falling as she kicked it up. "What are you so happy about?" snapped Elsa finally.

Anna stopped and stared at her sister nervously. "I-I'm just happy?"

Elsa sighed and sat down in the snow. "I'm sorry, Anna. It's just…ugh! I hate politics!"

Anna knelt down next to her sister and rubbed her back. "It's okay, I get you're under a ton of stress."

"You have no idea," Elsa fell back in the snow and lay spread eagle, looking at the ceiling, "So why are you so happy anyway?"

Anna joined her on the ground. "Kristoff is coming back today, remember?"

Elsa glanced over at Anna. "Already?" Kristoff had spent the last month harvesting ice in the mountains with Sven. As much as he loved the cushy palace life with his girlfriend, he was a mountain boy, born and bred.

Anna grinned. "Yup. I hope he likes my surprise."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he'll love it." Anna had spent the first week of Kristoff's absence knitting together a large and comfortable blanket for Kristoff to take with him on his trips. Elsa closed her eyes. "Why did I have to be queen?" she muttered.

"Cause you're the oldest."

Elsa snorted. "You want to take over? I'd gladly give this up."

Anna laughed. "No way. I can barely decide what I want for lunch; let alone what's best for a country."

There was a knock on the door. "Hey guys?" came a muffled but distinguishable voice, "Can I come in?"

Elsa smiled. "C'mon, Olaf." The doors opened and the enchanted snowman peeked in.

"Oh, you're having a snow party! Without me! Can I join?"

Anna giggled. "Get in here, silly!"

Olaf jumped up in the air and clapped his twig hands together. "Hurray!" As he fell back down, Elsa formed a snow slide for him. He screamed in delight as he was launched into the air, his parts separating. He landed in a snow bank, his head between his stomach and bottom sections. "Haha! That was fun! Where's my nose?" Anna and Elsa laughed as they felt around in the snow for Olaf's carrot.

The doors slammed open and a guard rushed in. "M'lady!"

Elsa looked up as the guard skidded to a halt before her and bowed deeply. "What now?"

"A letter, m'lady," said the guard.

"From the Southern Isles? Write back and tell them I haven't decided yet."

"No m'lady, from Agrabah." Elsa frowned. Agrabah had no trade relations with Arendelle, they were separated by thousands of miles and several more accessible trade points.

"What does Agrabah want?" The soldier held forth a scroll. Elsa took it and opened it, her eyes scanning the lines with tactical precision.

"What is it, Elsa?" asked Anna.

Elsa furled up the scroll. "Sultan Aladdin wants us to be a stopping point for a Scottish trading armada."

Anna frowned. "What does the Sultan want from Scotland?"

"It doesn't say," Elsa handed the scroll back to the guard, "Show this to my advisers. I'll meet with them later." The guard bowed and dashed from the room. Elsa made a snow cloud in her hand and sighed as she tossed it to the ceiling.

Olaf laughed happily as the cloud expanded and showered winter down upon the room. "Now it really is a snow party!" he gasped and his eyes widened, "We should get everyone in the palace in here!"

"Why stop there?" asked Anna with a giggle, "Let's get the whole kingdom!" Elsa allowed herself a small smile as she left the room, leaving Anna and Olaf to call the entire palace staff into the throne room for an afternoon of fun. She walked slowly and purposefully to her room. As she had expected, Ajax was sitting outside her room, twirling the scroll between his fingers. Almost immediately, she could sense something was wrong. Ajax's aura of cynicism was gone, replaced by a hard scowl and grim expression.

"Well?" Elsa said, motioning to the scroll, "What do you make of it?"

Ajax sighed and dropped the scroll on the carpeted floor. "There's nothing in Scotland that Agrabah couldn't get easier from somewhere else," he said, "There's only one thing I can think of that the Scotts could possibly provide them."

"What's that?"

Ajax fixed Elsa with a steely glare. "Scottish craftsmanship. Sultan Aladdin wants to by weapons off of King Fergus, and needs to go through us to get them."

Elsa frowned. "What could the Sultan need with a surplus of weapons? He has blacksmiths in Agrabah, doesn't he?"

"War, my dear," said Calypsa. She emerged from behind Elsa, sharing her twin's grim face, "The only reason Aladdin would want more weapons is if he's building up his army."

. . .

Far to the south, a bearded man sat on a wicker throne. He wore an ornate turban and wore heavy rings on his fingers. Servants gently wave fans over him, shielding him from the sun. Across the room, the dark, mahogany doors smashed open from the force of a giant fireball. The servants quivered in fear and backed away uneasily.

A muscular, tan man walked into the room, dragging a black cloaked figure behind him. On the throne, the bearded man opened his eyes. "Back so soon?" he said sarcastically.

"He ran like the wind, brother," said the muscular man, depositing the unconscious figure on the floor, "These northerners are fast."

The bearded man stood and walked forward slowly. "I jest, Salam. So long as you delivered me the results I desired, I bear no ill will towards you," he grinned, "Except for the whole killing-our-parents thing."

The young man hung his head and looked away. "Please, Mehmed, do not talk of that."

The bearded man, Mehmed, grinned. "What? Does it make you upset?"

The young man's eyes began to steam and he quickly shook his head. "Please stop brother. I don't want to lose control."

"You killed them," hissed Mehmed gleefully, "You burned them to a crisp because you couldn't keep control. You are weak, Salam."

Salam shook, his skin turning red as it heated up. "Stop, Mehmed!" he growled.

Mehmed grinned. "Make me!" Salam roared as his body became engulfed in flames. Mehmed stood confident as his brother raised his fiery hands. The servants gasped and shivered in fear as their Caliph was threatened. After a moment's hesitation, Salam slammed his fists down on either side of Mehmed.

As the fire around his body faded away, Mehmed scowled at the sight of his brother's tears. "I'm sorry, Mehmed," whispered Salam, "I am still weak. I'm so sorry."

Mehmed sighed and walked back to his throne. "Leave me, Salam, return to your cell. When next I see you, I want you to be able to run faster than my best horse." Salam nodded in shame and stood up. As he left the room, a servant squealed in relief. Salam spun and threw a fireball like a stone. It smashed into the servant's fan and it burst into flame. The servant screamed and dropped the fan. Salam turned and left with an angry grunt, his eyes burning in rage.

"There may be hope for you yet, brother," said Mehmed, closing his eyes.

. . .

I guess this is going to be more political than I intended. Oh well, the cards will fall where they may. Please review!


	3. Plans of Conquest

Same disclaimers as before.

Chapter 3: Plans of Conquest

Elsa did not often sleep soundly. When she was young, before she had hurt her sister, she would sleep and dream like any other child. After the accident, however, her sleep became erratic to say the least. She would stay up for days at a time, haunted by her powers and their unimaginable scope. When her body forced her to sleep, her dreams usually involved her destroying the kingdom with her powers.

As she grew older, her sleep slowly became more stable, although it still left much to be desired. Her dreams became more adult as she matured and after she froze the kingdom and defrosted it, she slept for what felt like days, finally completely free from her haunts.

Tonight, however, her thoughts wandered far too much for her to rest. Calypsa's words bounced around in her skull. Elsa had never lived to see a war, nor had her father. The last war Arendelle had played any part in was in the days of her great-grandfather. And now, she was being asked to harbor Scottish weapons headed for Agrabah.

She tossed her sheets aside and stood up, pacing around her room. If Agrabah was going on the offensive, then she was assisting and instigator. If she refused them and Agrabah was on the defensive, she was dooming a nation. She touched a window pane and watched as frost grazed across the glass.

"What do I do?" she muttered.

"Can I help with anything?" Elsa spun and sighed in relief. It was just Kristoff in his night clothes.

Elsa raised an eyebrow at his strained expression. "Are you alright, Kristoff?"

Kristoff tugged at his collar. "I'm not really used to nice clothes."

Elsa smiled as she sat at her vanity. "It'll come to you."

Kristoff sat on the bench under her window. "What's wrong, Elsa?"

Elsa sighed and leaned back. "I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, Kristoff," she said, "I don't think I should tell you the details. National secrets you know."

Kristoff hesitated. "You know," he said slowly, "When you break up an ice flow, you have to know everything about the ice you're standing on."

Elsa rubbed her forehead. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you step on thin ice, it'll crack and you'll fall in," explained Kristoff, "But if you study the ice, learn its strengths and weaknesses, then you can break it up easier and safer."

Elsa looked over at him, intrigued. "What are you getting at?"

Kristoff grinned eagerly. "For me to help you, you need to tell me some juicy national secrets!"

Elsa chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Get out of here, Kristoff. I'm sure Anna is getting tired of waiting."

Kristoff blushed deeply. "You, ah, you know about, um, that?"

"Mmm. It's hard not to notice."

"Ah."

Elsa laughed. "Relax, Kristoff. My sister is old enough to make her own decisions regarding these things."

Kristoff stared at her. "But what about Hans?"

"I said she could make her own choices, I never said I had to agree with them," she said firmly.

"Oh," Kristoff paused, "Do you agree on me?"

Elsa smirked. "I think my sister learned her lesson of subtlety and not coming to me directly about her love life."

Kristoff nodded with a smile. "I'll just, ah, be going then." He walked quickly from the bench to the door and shut it softly behind him. Elsa sighed and walked back to her bed. She lay down and stared at her canopy, pondering her predicament. Kristoff's words joined Calypsa's in her mind. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she nodded to herself. She threw a spare pillow at the door, a trick she had taught herself to remember thoughts before she fell asleep. Satisfied that she would remember in the morning, she lay her head back, the noises in her brain subsiding as sleep claimed her.

. . .

Mehmed rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the map in front of him. The sandstone room he stood in was dark except for his brother's flaming hands. "My armies to the south have met no resistance," he said to himself, "Should we abandon the southern campaign and return when we have finished with our northern conquest?"

Salam's eyes darted over the map. "If we expand south, we may find more recruits for our army," he reasoned, "And if we assimilate foreign cultures, we may learn more advanced fighting techniques." Mehmed glared his brother, but Salam did not seem to notice him. He leaned over the map, the light from his hands illuminating the corners of the room. "With a larger host and a variety of techniques from different kingdoms, we have a better chance of success in the north."

Mehmed reared back his hand and slapped Salam across the face. The larger, younger man did not move, nor did he show any emotion. The only place that expressed the pain was in his fists. The fire he held flared, licking the ceiling for a moment before it died down again. "You are a fool, brother," Mehmed said angrily, "The Kingdoms of the East and North are aware of our victories. Agrabah is already preparing its defenses. If we hesitate for even a moment," Mehmed shook a finger under his brother's nose, "They'll go on the offensive, a pre-emptive strike in order to defend themselves. And with our armies to the south and west, we are defenseless. We're pushing our luck having them as far away for so long as it is."

Salam breathed slowly, trying desperately to control his power. He could feel the fire slipping away from him. He glanced up and grimaced as he saw the scorch marks on the ceiling. He closed his hands, trying to quench the flames. Instead the fire grew, fighting for the oxygen it needed. Mehmed shook his head sadly at his brother. "Order the return of half of my forces from the southern lines," he said with a sigh as he walked towards the door, "The second they arrive, we march on Agrabah. Then we move north."

Salam lifted his head. "What about Arendelle, brother? What about the ice queen?"

Mehmed stopped in the doorway and turned back with a cruel smile. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, brother."

. . .

In the kingdom of Corona, all was quiet. The only lights still lit illuminated either guards at their posts or romantic couples dancing dreamily in the streets. Unnoticed by all, a cloaked figure on a white horse trotted quietly through the side streets and back roads. After dodging patrols, lights, and children out past their curfew, the horse and his rider made it to the docks. The cloaked figure jumped down and patted the horse's neck affectionately.

As the cloaked person prepared himself a rowboat, a two-man patrol rounded a nearby corner. "Hey you!" called one of the guards, "What're you-" he was cut off by an abrupt neigh and a pointed look from the horse.

The guards straightened up and paled. "C-Captain Maximus!" exclaimed the other guard, "So sorry for interrupting you, sir!" The horse grunted and pointed its proud head back towards where they came. The soldiers nodded quickly and backed off.

The cloaked figure chuckled as he climbed into the boat. "Good work, Maximus," he whispered as he began to row. He tossed an apple back onto the dock and the horse ate it up greedily. It took a while for the cloaked man to row all the way across the straight that separated Corona's capitol city from the mainland. When he finally reached the far shore, he hopped out of his boat and landed with a crouch on the sand. He slowly stood up and looked around. "Roll call," he said in a loud whisper."

"Agrabah," came a call from behind a nearby bush.

"Scotland." The voice came from a tree.

"Weselton."

"Russia."

"Vatican."

"Gypsy Nomads."

"Southern Isles."

"Chinese." Several other voices announced various nations and groups from across the surrounding woods. After a few minutes, the cloaked figure scowled and pulled down his hood.

"Come out," said Prince Eugene Fitzherbert. Immediately, dozens of men and women in black cloaks dropped out of tree branches and rolled out from behind bushes and boulders. They all pulled back their hoods so Eugene could look them all in the eye and verify their identity. "Where is Fleyaz?"

"He never returned from his assignment, Prince Fitzherbert."

Eugene sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Can you at the very least call me Prince Ryder?"

His collected spies and informants all looked at each other with pointed glances before turning to him and, with one voice, saying a very succinct, "No."

"I should never have let Blondie release my full name," Eugene muttered, "Fleyaz didn't return, hmm? What does this mean?"

"It could mean any number of things, sir," said a spy, "He could be dead, late, or just forgot when the rendezvous was."

Eugene frowned. "This doesn't bode well, does it?"

"No, sire, it does not."

. . .

Please review!

I decided to call the villain nation Fleyaz, a combination of the Armenian words for fire and sand. Don't worry though, traditional Disney and Dreamworks villains will make their way in here.

Technically, I guess this would count as a cross-over, but I'm trying to keep the focus on Elsa, Arendelle's political place in the world, and the dynamics of Mehmed (named after the conquering Ottoman Caliph) and Salam (a combination of the Hebrew word Shalom, meaning hello, and the first Sultan Saladin).


	4. A Day at the Beach

Same disclaimers as before

Chapter 4: A Day at the Beach

"You want what?" Calypsa shouted.

"A spy network," Said Elsa firmly, "For the benefit of the kingdom."

"You do realize just what a stupid idea that is, right?" Ajax asked in total monotone.

"I've considered it."

"So long as you know what you're getting into then."

Calypsa stared at her twin . "Are you insane? If other nations discover we spy on them, it'll mean war!"

Ajax grunted as he examined the stake he had whittled. "Arendelle is a trading kingdom, Calypsa. To make valid, informed decisions, our queen needs valid information."

Calypsa opened her mouth and protested in a series of incredulous gasps and wheezes. "I've thought it all through, Calypsa," Elsa reassured her, "Watch." She swirled her hands around her head and frost slipped through her fingers like fabric through a loom. The snow spiraled from her hands to the floor where it condensed into a giant snow beast. The monstrosity was covered in sharp, jagged ice spikes and his teeth were made from icicles. He growled happily as he clenched and unclenched his hands, testing out his body.

Calypsa stared at the monster before her. "Elsa," she said shakily, "What is this?"

"Marshmallow!" The advisors, queen, and snowman turned to the door of the throne room where Olaf was dancing a merry jig as he charged the giant beast. "You're back! Hey! Hey! Can you throw me over the castle? I want to see if I can touch the sun." The giant snowman glared down at the tiny snowman dancing around his massive feet. He growled, remembering the last time he had seen Olaf. With a jerk, he kicked Olaf into the far wall. "Oh, hey!" exclaimed Olaf as his body parts gently drifted down the wall, "Déjà vu!"

"Marshmallow," grunted Ajax sarcastically, "The very name strikes fear into the hearts of men." The giant snow abomination spun and roared in Ajax's unflinching face. Spittle made of snowballs splattered against him. The room shook from the force of the snowman's yell. Marshmallow closed his mouth after a few seconds and his shoulders rose and fell as he anticipated Ajax's response.

Ajax wiped the snow off him and glanced at Marshmallow. "I've seen bigger." Marshmallow stored in surprise at Ajax and he fell back on his haunches.

Elsa cleared her throat. "Um, Marshmallow, I guess we're calling him that, Is the first of several guards I'll make to serve as a guards. They'll patrol our borders in secret to keep armies from breaching our lands."

Ajax snorted. "Secret is a relative term."

"We live in mountains," replied Elsa, "It's not unusual to see snow banks up there." As if on cue, Marshmallow rolled into the fetal position. He looked like a pure white mound of snow.

"Not in the summer," countered Calypsa, happy to have found a hole in Elsa's plan, "Olaf only needs a little cloud. I'm willing to bet people will get suspicious when they realize there's a ring of storm clouds surrounding our borders."

"That's a bit of a moot point," muttered Ajax, "I'm more concerned about how you'd respond to a sea invasion."

Calypsa stared at her brother, half in anger, half in disbelief. "I can't believe you! If other nations saw a buildup of military power, we'd be facing a war we don't have a hope of wining!"

Ajax stood up and twirled his whittling knife between his fingers. With a toss of his hand, the knife flew through the air and land with a thunk on the desk in front of Elsa's throne, right into the unfurled letter from Agrabah. Olaf, examining Marshmallow's hidden form, jumped back in surprise and stared at Ajax. "That was so cool! Can you teach me that?"

"You don't have fingers," replied Ajax. He turned back to his sister, "As for you, that letter shows that Arendelle is entering a new age. Agrabah trusts us to harbor weapons for them, which engages us in whatever they're planning. Whether we honor their request or not, we're making somebody mad."

"Speaking of which," interrupted Elsa, "I've decided to allow the weapons through."

There was a moment of silence before Calypsa threw her hands up in the air. "I'm surrounded by crazy people," she said in resignation, "I can't do this."

Ajax barked a laugh. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire, eh Calypsa?"

Elsa rolled her eyes and rubbed her temples. "That's enough you two. You're dismissed for the day." Ajax and Calypsa bowed, although Calypsa's bow seemed a little more jerky than usual and they left the room. Marshmallow stood up and looked to Elsa for instruction.

Elsa spun her hand lazily and a small cloud formed above him. "For now, head to the North Mountain," she said with a sigh, "Stand guard there and alert me if anyone enters the kingdom from that direction. I'll send reinforcements and further instructions later." The giant snowman nodded and plodded out of the room, leaving Elsa and Olaf alone in the room.

"Tough day at the office?"

Elsa smiled and leaned back in her throne. "Why can't anything be easy, Olaf?"

Olaf gasped and ran forward, taking a running jump onto Elsa's lap. "Are you kidding me? There are a lot of easy things to do! Making a snow angel is easy!" He hopped to the floor and waved his twig arms and stubby legs to scrape against the floor, leaving an impression of him as he stood up. "Ta-da!" Olaf exclaimed, presenting his work of art with a wave of his hands. Elsa chuckled as the door opened. Anna and Kristoff walked in together, their hands intertwined.

"Olaf! There you are." Anna called, "Sven was looking lonely and Kristoff and I are busy. Can you go keep him company?"

Olaf jumped into the air, clapping his hands happily. "Oh yay!" He dashed out of the room, leaving a streak of snow and wind behind him.

Elsa cleared her throat and sat up. "Hi, what's up?"

Anna grinned. "I'm not allowed to check in with my sister?" Elsa smirked and stood up. Anna approached her as Elsa walked around her desk and the two engaged in a tight embrace.

"You know what?" said Elsa, "I'm done with this queen stuff today. Let's go somewhere."

Anna's eyes lit up. "Oh! Oaken's having a sale on swim suits! We could go swimming!"

"Sounds good to me. Kristoff?"

The ice harvester grinned. "Sure, why not?"

. . .

Elsa floated on a small bed of ice as she stared up at the sky. "I needed this."

"I can tell," Anna doggy paddled in circles around her while Kristoff stood waist-deep in the water a few feet away, skipping stones across the fjord.

Anna turned over onto her back and drifted next to her sister. "I see a bird," she said, pointing to a cloud overhead, "What about you?"

"I see a sword."

"Mmm, that's not good."

Elsa sighed and closed her eyes. "Even when I'm on break, my work haunts me."

For a moment, the two sisters floated in silence. "You know what you need?" Anna finally said.

"What?"

"Somebody to love."

Elsa turned her head to stare at her sister. "I love you, don't I?"

"You know what I mean, Elsa. Hey, make me a snowball." Elsa held out her hand and a tightly compacted snowball landed in her sister's outstretched hand. Anna stood up in the water and threw the ball with deft aim into the back of Kristoff's head. He turned slowly and Anna pointed to Elsa accusingly. Kristoff smirked and flailed his arms wildly, sending a wave of water splashing towards the two girls. Elsa formed a large shield over herself, leaving Anna to be splashed alone. The girl squealed and dove underwater to avoid more of Kristoff's assaults. She breached to surface behind Elsa's shield. "You need someone who can take your mind off your work."

"I'm a little to buys to be dating, Anna." Elsa threw up a second ice shield as Kristoff swam around her first one.

Anna grabbed her ice float and rolled onto it next to her sister, fully protected by the two curved shields. "That's the problem! You need to take more time for yourself."

"Isn't that what I'm doing now?"

"You though a cloud looked like a sword. It isn't working."

"Hey!" called Kristoff, banging on the ice, "No fair!" Anna looked at her sister pleadingly.

Elsa grinned. "He's got a point." She formed a hole in her shield and her ice bed twisted, launching Anna out the hole with a scream. Immediately, Elsa formed a sphere of ice around her ice bed, cutting her off from the chaos outside. She closed her eyes and felt her muscles relax. Her swimming suit was thin, but the cold of her ice was more friendly than uncomfortable.

There was a knock on her ice. She cracked open an eye reluctantly. "M'lady?" She sighed and lowered the dome around her. Standing in the water was a guard in full regalia. He looked incredibly uncomfortable with his wet clothes.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Mr. Ajax is requesting you begin sending out, um, marshmallows to protect our borders immediately. He said you knew what that meant."

Elsa groaned. "Oh alright. Did he say anything else?"

"Yes, he humbly requests you meet him in the castle." Elsa grumbled as she sat up on her ice float. She stepped onto the water and froze it as she strolled to the shore. She reached down and helped the guard onto her ice. He stumbled a little and seemed uneasy to be standing on the ice, but she led him off the water. As her feet hit the grassy earth, the ice she had formed melted away on the fjord. She spared a glance back at Anna and Kristoff, still frolicking in the water.

The guard offered her a towel and she quickly dried herself off. She tossed the towel back to him and raised her hands, wrapping herself in her signature ice dress. Together, they walked back through Arendelle. Just as always, people stopped to stare and cheer for their queen. Elsa offered them all a small smile. She wondered if Anna was right. Her options in dating were limited.

As a queen, it was expected that, if she wed at all, she would marry another member of royalty in order to preserve her line and establish alliances with foreign nations. Luckily, she wasn't required to marry. Either she or Anna could provide a legitimate heir to the throne.

Eventually, they reached the castle again. Ajax was pacing in the courtyard, his knife spinning like a fan between his fingers. "Ajax, what's wrong?" asked Elsa, "I thought we were done for the day."

"We were. Until I went hiking."

"You hike?"

"I birdwatch."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "You bridwatch?"

Ajax fixed her with an unblinking stare. "There's a nest of osprey living on Queen's Peak. Majestic creatures. But the reason why I called on you has nothing to do with my hobbies. I was scaling the Arendelle range when I looked to the west."

"And?"

"I saw ships."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Ships come in and out of Arendelle all the time."

"They waved the Scottish colors."

Elsa tripped over her dress and Ajax caught her with one hand without even looking at her. "Scots? But I never agreed to the Agrabah shipment! Are any other Scottish trades coming through here?"

"No, but that would be fine. Scottish traders come through here all the time just to browse. What concerned me was the sheer quantity of the ships. It was an armada, Queen Elsa, a complete fleet of ships. Even for a weapons trade, this was at least twice the number of necessary."

Elsa stared at Ajax. "What does this mean?"

Ajax tossed his knife into the ground of the courtyard. It lodged itself into the stone and Ajax kicked it, snapping the blade in two. "It means I'm going to need a bigger knife."


	5. The Unexpected Arrival

Same disclaimers as before

Chapter 5: The Unexpected Arrival

Elsa and Calypsa stood on the docks. Elsa was pacing back and forth on the wood while Calypsa knitted calmly. People peeked at them from the market while sailors and fishermen watched their lovely queen from their boats.

Elsa stopped pacing and stared glumly at the water. "There they are." The Scottish longboats rounded around the fjord, skimming over the water into view. Their oars rowed in time with a cacophony of beating drums. Murmurs erupted amongst the docks as the citizens of Arendelle saw the approaching ships. Sailors familiar with the Scottish styles were wondering what such a host of Scotts were doing in Arendelle. Everyone else just wondered who they were.

Elsa glared at the ships. "This isn't right," she murmured, "I never got the chance to confirm the Sultan's letter."

Calypsa grunted. "Light shines on marble head," she muttered angrily.

Elsa glanced at her adviser as she paced. "You blame me for this confusion?"

"You are queen. Regardless of whether or not this is your fault, it is your responsibility."

Elsa sighed and stopped pacing. "There's so many. Why do they need so many ships?"

"The letter never specified the size of the order," said Calypsa with a shrug, "Still, if each of these ships holds a standard armory's worth, there's enough steel there to arm three armies." Elsa quickly adjusted her dress as she saw the oars of the Scottish ships retract into the boats. One boat broke off from the rest of the fleet and rowed towards the dock.

"Must be their flagship," said a voice. Elsa jumped in surprise and spun around. Ajax stood behind her in what looked like formal clothing of his homeland. Slung over his back was a massive, hand-and-half claymore, its straight blade reaching from his shoulder down to his knees. He was clearly struggling under its weight as he stumbled back and forth to balance himself.

Calypsa stared at her twin. "That…Ajax, that's a family heirloom!"

"About time it served a use," he said, stabilizing himself.

"Silence," snapped Elsa quietly, "They're here." Indeed, the flagship of the armada was sliding neatly into the dock. Its sail lay flat against the mast, but Elsa could clearly make out the downwards facing sword against a Celtic knot emblem. Ropes were thrown from the deck and quickly tied to the docks. A wooden ramp was lowered and at its top strode a tall, majestic young woman. She had long, frizzled red hair and wore a deep blue gown with tailored joints for mobility. Her heart shaped face and smiling teal eyes turned to the skies as she drank in the Arendelle air. She looked down with a grin as she slid down the ramp. She skid to a halt on the dock and bowed low to Elsa.

"Grettin's, Queen Elsa," she said with a harsh Scottish accent, "I'm Princess Merida of DunBroch, here represntin' me father, King Fergus."

For a moment, the Queen of Arendelle and her advisors stared at the Scottish princess before them. Ajax leaned towards his sister. "Did you understand any of that?" he murmured.

"About every three words," his sister replied in amazement and confusion.

"Um, greetings, Princess Merida," Elsa said as she cleared her throat, "It is an honor to host your, ah, trading fleet." She curtsied and straightened herself as Merida stood. "Say," she said, leaning around Elsa to grin at Ajax, "That's a nice letter opener ya got there. Do all you Arendelle folk carry those around?"

Ajax stared at the young princess. "Okay," he murmured to his sister, "I didn't understand a good portion of what she just said, but did she just call the Blade of Hercules a letter opener?"

"Mmm," said Calypsa, returning to her knitting, "If you believe such things."

"So, down to business then," the Scottish princess said, folding her arms with a smile, "Where's your armory?"

Elsa blinked in confusion and Ajax grunted. "So you are carrying weapons then?"

"Course! Didn't Sultan Aladdin tell you why I was comin'?"

"Um, no he failed to mention what you were carrying and why he needed whatever it was."

"Oh," Merida's smile faded and she dropped her arms to her sides, "I see. Perhaps we should speak somewhere private?"

"Yes, quite," Elsa turned and walked along the docks. Merida followed her with a glum expression. Ajax and Calypsa brought up the rear, glancing back and forth between Merida and each other.

As they walked, people stopped to stare not only at their queen, but at the strange, red-headed young woman following her. Eventually, they made their way back to the castle.

"So," said Merida as they entered the empty throne room, "Aladdin decided not to tell you why he needed Scottish weaponry, did he?"

"No," said Elsa as she walked over to her throne and sat down, "He just told me he wanted to use Arendelle's port as a stopping point for Scottish ships heading for Agrabah."

"If it's all the same to you, Queen Elsa," said Merida nervously, "I'd prefer to discuss these things alone." Elsa nodded and waved to Ajax and Calypsa. The two elder foreigners looked at one another, nodded, and left, slamming the door behind them. "Sultan Aladdin and I have been in an alliance for quite some time."

"Really," said Elsa questioningly, "And why would a Scottish princess and a Sultan have an alliance?"

"Years ago, my mother forced me to begin a long-distance correspondence with a foreign diplomat when she was grooming me to be a princess."

Elsa nodded. "Makes sense," she said quietly, "You get to train in international politics while establishing ties, and if you make an enemy, they're too far away to launch a surprise attack."

"Sultan Aladdin and I kept that correspondence for years. Eventually, it turned into an alliance based on…well, to be honest, unnatural thing."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Unnatural things?"

"I know, you probably don't believe me-" started Merida. Before the princess could continue, Elsa raised her hand and cast a brief wave of frosty wind across the room. Merida braced herself against the cold and she stared at the queen. "So the rumors are true," she whispered, "You are bewitched."

"I wouldn't exactly call it bewitchment."

"Call it what you like. I assume you believe me then?"

"I am willing to put my faith in things that cannot be explained," Elsa said carefully.

"I'll take that as a yes. Aladdin and I have both experienced, um, interesting things and we've been in contact for years. Recently, he's been writing a lot about a dark force rising in the south that seemed to be working its way north towards Agrabah."

"I was unaware," said Elsa, "By dark force, do you mean some kind of army?"

"Aladdin didn't give me a lot of details. He just called it a dark force."

"I see. Is that why he needs your weapons, to fend off this 'dark force'?"

"I assumed."

"But why did he order so many?" Elsa asked the question she had been waiting for, "Agrabah is a fairly small kingdom; its military force is sizable but not the biggest in the world. If each of your ships carries the standard Scottish weapons order, there should be enough steel with you to arm Agrabah thrice over. And for that matter," Elsa narrowed her eyes at Merida, "Why are you here? Our trade connections with your father are strong, your presence in Arendelle, while not unwelcome, is unnecessary."

Merida looked glum as she glanced up at Elsa. "Aladdin's last letter was the order for the weapons shipment. He paid in full and in advance. His request was for one third of his order to be sent to Agrabah via Arendelle."

Elsa leaned forwards in her throne. She could sense that bad news was coming. "What was to be done with the other two thirds of the order?"

"It was to be left in Arendelle," said Merida, "Along with me. He paid for me to train an army for your kingdom, Queen Elsa."

. . .

Salam sat cross-legged on the hot sand. The sun had baked the desert to the point that meat could have been cooked over it. The heat was unbearable, but Salam made no effort to move. He slowly breathed in and out, letting the hot air fill his body. Each time he exhaled, grey smoke leaked from his mouth.

A few dunes away, a carriage pulled by two camels reached the peak of the hill. From within the cooled contents of the carriage, Mehmed emerged. He peered at his brother as his driver, dripping with sweat turned to face his master. "Shall I fetch him, sire?"

"No," said Mehmed slowly, "I want to see how he does." For a while, nothing happened; Mehmed watched his brother who simply sat in the roasting sand. In the distance, the city bell began to ring. In the sky, the sun was at its highest point. As the twelfth chime of the bell faded away across the desert, Salam's eyes burst open. His irises were a burning yellow and the whites of his eyes were red with strained blood vessels. He stood up at stared at the sun. He felt its rays falling on him like harsh rain and he began to breathe heavily. How dare the sun shine on him? How dare any light touch him?

Salam roared to the sky, fire bursting from his mouth like a wave of pure rage. He clenched his muscles tightly and began to dance. He was so light on his feet, the sand barely moved as he pranced over it. Fire engulfed his body and he whipped out lashes of flame, vanquishing enemies only he could see. Mehmed watched, a smile playing across his lips as he saw the wrath his younger brother was unleashing upon the empty desert. He had seen his brother in battle, but his vision was often obscured by the enemy troops that Salam allowed himself to be surrounded by before he went into his berserker rage. Pillars of flame erupted from the sand and Mehmed sighed contentedly as the fires licked the side of his carriage. The camels shifted uncomfortably. "M-my lord?" whimpered the driver, "Perhaps we should fall back?"

Mehmed climbed out of the carriage as the flames died down. "Quite the opposite," he said to his driver. Without wasting a breath, Mehmed dove forwards. He dodged back and forth between the flaming geysers until he saw his brother swinging wild, fiery fists atop a dune. With a feral grin, Mehmed clambered up the dune and dove under his brother. He could feel the heat of the flames on his face. It felt like he was standing in the presence of a sun. Without warning, Mehmed shot up and stood calmly in the path of Salam's fist. Any onlooker would have figured him to be a dead man, a suicidal one at that, but to Mehmed's disappointment, Salam pulled his punch, leaving the flames of his hand gently searing the tip of his brother's nose.

Salam quickly pulled back his fist and extinguished the flames that covered him. The fire geysers cooled off and disappeared as quickly as they had come. "Sorry, brother," said Salam in his booming voice. He kept his eyes on the ground as Mehmed glared at him.

"You are still weak," he said with a sigh, "I had hoped you, in your rage, might have forgotten who I was. Father would be so disappointed." Salam blinked, his eyes burning both from forced back tears and his fire powers trying to burst from his skull. "Come, we have work to do." Mehmed led Salam back to the carriage.

As the giant warrior approached, the driver scooted away. "Greetings, Alibit," offered Salam kindly, "How is your wife?"

"Good, good," said the driver nervously, "Please don't burn me." Salam sighed and ducked into the carriage, his massive frame making the whole vehicle shake and shudder.

Mehmed entered behind him and closed the door. "Back to the capital," he called to the driver. Immediately, the carriage lurched and started forwards.

"Is something wrong, brother?" asked Salam.

"Yes, my spies in Agrabah have reported that the supposed weapon surplus the Sultan claimed they had has been a lie. Their guard is mostly unarmed."

"So we strike soon?"

"Yes, according to my sources, Sultan Aladdin has sent for a weapons shipment from Scottland."

Salam looked up, intrigued. "There are far more convenient weapon smiths in Istanbul. Why would they not request the weapon shipments from there?"

Mehmed smiled. His little brother was learning. "We don't know, but you're asking the right questions."

"So when exactly are we going to attack?"

"Now. If we can take the city before the Scotts arrive, we can plunder their weapons and be set for an immediate invasion of China."

Salam frowned. "China?"

"Yes, we need access to the Silk Road. We don't necessarily need to control it, but it certainly wouldn't hurt."

"I don't know, brother," muttered Salam, "I have heard stories of the Chinese fighters. They have women that fight as hard and as sturdy as men. I don't know if striking them is the best idea."

Mehmed snorted. "You overestimate them, Salam. You are a gift from god, sent to us for us to conquer the world. With you leading our armies, no soldier, be he a man or a woman in man's clothing, can face our might."

"There is one, brother," intoned Salam, "Queen El-"

"So not speak her name!" hissed Mehmed, "She is the tool of the devil, and speaking her name could summon him to us. She is the Ice Queen, and your fires will turn her frost to water. Her blood will fill the very fjord she protects."

Salam nodded and looked out the window in silence, unsure of what the say.

. . .

Sultan Aladdin stared at the southern horizon. Storm clouds had been forming there for days, but had vanished that morning. With a sigh, he walked back to his throne. He had long ago replaced his father-in-law's elephant throne with one of a golden tiger, his cushion sitting between the cat's canines. As he sat down, he looked to the ceiling. Smiling down on him was a mural of a lovely, dark skinned woman in a blue outfit reclining on a couch covered in silk cloth.

Aladdin always felt better when he looked upon the face of his late wife, her smile had managed to lift him from his deepest despairs. Today, however, he felt no joy upon seeing Jasmine.

The doors to his throne room burst open and a boy of thirteen ran in. He was dressed in light regal garb, showing appreciation both for his mother's royal upbringing and his father's humble beginnings. "You called for me, father?" he asked as he knelt before Aladdin.

The Sultan laughed. "Of all the lessons your mother tried to teach you, the one thing you took to heart is the one thing that you never need around me."

His son looked up at him. "What lesson is that, father?"

"Formality," Aladdin rose and opened his arms, "Stand son, there is no reason for you to bow to me." His son rose and Aladdin walked forward to embrace him. As he did, the Sultan's eyes widened. "Is that the scratching of a beard I feel?" he asked in amazement.

His son pulled back sheepishly and rubbed his cheek. "I've been trying to grow it out. I saw paintings of grandfather I wanted to see if magnificent beards ran in the family."

Aladdin laughed. He was glad to see the day his son began to grow hair on his chin. He held his son at arm's length and smiled into the young boy's face. "I am so proud of you, Ali Baba," he said quietly, "Your mother would be too. She'd pinch your cheeks," Aladdin pinched Ali Baba's cheeks in emphasis, "And hug you so tight; you wouldn't be able to breath." Aladdin pulled his son into a second hug, tighter and harder than the first. He laughed heartily as Ali Baba's face turned blue and he struggled in his fathers grip. Aladdin released him and Ali Baba glared at his father angrily.

"I'm glad I made you proud, father, but that pride could come without visual aids."

Aladdin smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"

Ali Baba raised an eyebrow. "Did you call me back from my hunt just to tell me how proud you are?"

Aladdin sighed, to business then. "I'm sending you away."

There was a moment of silence as he let that sink in. Ali Baba's eyes slowly widened. "What?"

"I'm sending you away to stay with some friends of mine."

"But…but why?"

"Things are going to become…very unsafe for you in Agrabah."

"Is this about the Fleyaz?"

Aladdin froze. "You know about them?"

"Father, the whole kingdom knows, we just figured they were a minor threat."

Aladdin stared at his son and sighed. He collapsed back in his throne. "I have been stupid, Ali Baba," he said, "We have had peace for so long, I figured we would not need to maintain a strong military presence. I diverted funds to education and public construction. Our army is weak and under prepared for an attack. The Fleyaz are greater in number than we predicted."

Ali Baba lurched forwards, flashing his knife from under his belt. "Let me stay and fight, father! I can help defend Agrabah!"

"No, son," Aladdin said with a sigh, "Agrabah is not their target. Caliph Mehmed has another conquest in mind. We cannot stop him here at Agrabah, but we can slow his armies, thin them out. One thirteen year old boy will not turn the tides in our favor."

Ali Baba stared at his father. "You don't have a prayer against the Caliph, do you." It was a statement rather than a question.

Aladdin's sad scowl turned around and he grinned at his son. "Don't count your old man out just yet, Ali Baba," he said, "There's a certain genie that owes me a favor."

. . .

Please review!


	6. According to Legend

Same disclaimers as before.

Chapter 6: According to Legend

"What?" asked Elsa, still unsure if she had heard the Scottish princess correctly.

"Two-thirds of the weapons shipment was to be dropped off in Arendelle and my services were paid for to train a proper standing army for your kingdom," repeated Merida, confusion evident on her face, "You're sure Sultan Aladdin never mentioned this in his letter?"

"He never even mentioned weapons," said Elsa, trying to wrap her head around the concept of an army in Arendelle, "Why would he want us to have an army? It makes no sense."

Merida shrugged. "I'm not here to be a detective, milady," she said, "Just to train soldiers."

"With all due respect, Princess Merida, you're not training an army until I understand why Arendelle needs one."

"Well excuse me, your highness," replied Merida as she folded her arm, "But I was hired to train an army, and that's what I plan to do."

Elsa glared at the red-head, her mind racing as she tried to find a way to diffuse the situation. "Fine," she said after a moment, "You have my permission to raise an army for Arendelle."

"Thank you, milady."

"A volunteer army."

Merida blinked in surprise. "What?"

"If a standing army is to defend my kingdom," Elsa explained as she rose from her throne, "Then it must be comprised of those _willing _to defend my kingdom. No mercenaries, no drafting, and nobody under, say, seventeen."

Merida stared at the queen for a moment before smiling. "As you wish, your highness. Your army will be nothing if not loyal."

"I expect it to be more than loyal," said Elsa as she walked down to Merida, "Apparently Sultan Aladdin is paying you good money, so I want good results." She wrapped an arm around Merida and led her over to the door. "Take all the time you need," she said, "But when you're done, I want to have the greatest army this side of China!"

"I-I'll do my best!" stuttered Merida as Elsa not-so-subtly pushed her out of the throne room.

"Good! Report back to me when you have my army!" Elsa said with a smile on her face. She closed the door and the smile vanished faster than a blink of an eye. She walked back to her throne and sat on the arm of the royal chair. She rubbed her forehead, feeling the migraine already building in her mind. As she stood up, her hand touched the throne and immediately a layer of frost formed across the seat. Elsa froze and her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the frost. Slowly, she backed away from the throne and stood in the center of the room. "Love," she whispered to herself, "Love thaws." Elsa though hard of Anna and how her sister had sacrificed herself for her and slowly the ice on the throne dispersed. Satisfied that the ice was gone, Elsa quickly walked to the door. "Gerda!" she called.

The servant woman poked her head around the far corner of the hall. "Yes, milady?"

"Ready me a sleigh."

Gerda blinked. "But…milady it's October. It won't snow for at least a month."

"It's snowing where I'm going," said Elsa grimly.

. . .

It was almost midnight when Elsa reached her destination. Her ice palace on the North Mountain had melted somewhat during the summer, but there was enough left for her to stay for a night.

"Thank you, Kai," she said to her driver as she jumped out of the sleigh.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, milady?"

"No, but it can't hurt any. Come back for me at noon tomorrow, won't you?"

"Of course, milady. Have a nice evening." Kai nudged the horses and drove off back down the mountains towards Arendelle.

Elsa walked up the stairs to her palace and gently pushed open the doors. They shattered under the pressure and she sighed as she stared glumly down at the shards. "A girl leaves for a few months and the place falls down around her," she muttered as she picked up some of the pieces.

"My apologies," Elsa spun and stumbled back in surprise. Ajax was standing behind her, his massive sword still strapped to his back. "It may be my male influence that's breaking you little playhouse."

"Ajax!" snapped Elsa as she stood up and brushed herself off, "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"I saw you leaving Arendelle so I hid under the sleigh."

"And how did you manage that?"

"I got my sword caught in the runners and got dragged along," Ajax unlatched his massive blade and grunted as he swung it upwards. Elsa stepped back as he stabbed it into the ground, sinking it halfway into the ice floor. "Nice place you've made here. Did you ever express interest in architecture?"

"What are you doing here, Ajax?" Elsa demanded, "I wanted to be alone."

"You're the queen now, Elsa," Ajax chuckled, "You can't be alone."

Elsa glared at her advisor and clenched her fists. "One night! You couldn't let me escape everything for one night?!"

"Nope," said Ajax. He took off his jacket and laid it on the floor next to his sword. He lay down on it and leaned against his blade. "You are a responsible for an entire country, you can't deny your duties."

"Why not!" Elsa slammed her foot down and a wave of frost scattered around the room. Elsa panted in her anger, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Ajax sighed. "Because you have a response-"

"I don't want to be queen, Ajax!" yelled Elsa, "I didn't want to say it, but there it is! I hate being queen!" She shook with rage, but fell back on her rear and began to sob. "Ever since I was a girl, I've been afraid of my powers. Then, after so many years, I've figured out how to fix my mistakes. I'm finally free. But then I get trapped by this stupid job!" she kicked out her foot, flinging her ice shoe across the room. Ajax caught it deftly and slid it across the floor back to her. Elsa glared at him and didn't pick it up. "I just want to be happy," she said with a sigh, "Is that too much? I never asked to be queen." She folded her arms and leaned against the wall of the palace. "And on top of that I have no idea what's going on in the world. I've tried to stay neutral, but it looks like I'm moving our country into war anyway."

Ajax sighed and looked up at the ice chandelier that swung lightly above them. The moonlight refracted around the ice to fill the room with an unearthly glow. "Elsa," he said quietly, "In my lands, there is a legend we like to tell. Would you like to hear it?"

"I'm sure you'd tell it to me anyway," she scoffed.

Ajax grinned. "Quite right. Many generations ago, there was a hero named Hercules. According to legend, he was the child of Zeus, lord of the gods. He was lost in the world of mortals and was unable to return home. It's said his was the strength of a hundred men. We had dozens of stories about him and how he conquered many terrible foes: the multi-headed Hydra who grew more heads the more he cut off, the Nemean Lion whose skin could not be pierced by spear nor sword, the horrible Harpy who terrorized Thebes." He sighed and gave a soft smile. "He was an inspiration to my people, a legend and a hero. But my favorite story about him is and always has been this one. You see, Hercules had a woman whom he loved, but he also had a duty to be a hero to the people. For the most part, he had found a decent balance between these two aspects of his life. That is, until Hades, the god of the underworld seized the woman. Hades made a deal with Hercules, he would ensure the woman's safety for the rest of her life, if Hercules would but surrender his strength for one day."

"That's a stupid deal," muttered Elsa, "One day as a normal person in exchange for the guaranteed safety of a love one for life? I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"So did Hercules," said Ajax, "And don't interrupt me. Hercules accepted the offer and gave up his powers. That same day, Hades unleashed the greatest monsters known to man: the Titans. Under the direction of the god of the dead, the Titans marched on the glorious palace of the gods, Mt. Olympus. However, to make sure he wasn't leaving anything to chance, Hades sent one of the most ferocious of the Titans, the giant, one-eyed Cyclops, to attack Thebes, a city under Hercules's protection."

"So what did Hercules do? He didn't have his powers."

"What did I say about interrupting me? And Hercules did what any hero would do. He fought against the Cyclops."

Elsa lifted her head. "And he was crushed by the monster, sacrificing himself for the people, leading them to stand up against the monsters themselves, is that it?"

"Not even close," said Ajax, "And if you interrupt me again, I'll turn this palace into enough ice cubes to serve drinks to every citizen of Arendelle for a year. No, even though he had no powers, Hercules stood against the Cyclops. Their battle tore the mountains around the city to pieces. Eventually, Hercules blinded the Cyclops with fire and pushed him off a cliff to his death. However, in their battle, the woman he loved was crushed under a pillar." Elsa opened her mouth to say something, but Ajax's glare was enough to keep her quiet. "Since Hades broke his promise, Hercules received his strength back and defended Olympus from the Titans. When Hades was thoroughly defeated, he reclaimed the woman's soul and restored her to life." Ajax laid out his hands in surrender. "Now you may speak."

"What was the point of that?" asked Elsa, "It doesn't have any connection to me."

Ajax laughed. "Well, for one thing, it is said that Calypsa and I are descended from Hercules and this," he rapped a knuckle against the blade he leaned against, "Was his sword. As your advisor, I guess you could consider that a few degrees of separation between Hercules and yourself. But more importantly, you could learn something from Hercules."

"What?"

"Hercules stood up for what was right and defended the people, even when his life was in danger. If anyone was in his position, they would have abandoned Thebes and its people to their fate and run off with the love of their life. But Hercules knew his duty, and as much as he hated it, he did it."

"But why?" demanded Elsa, "Why did he have to save them? Why did he have to be a hero?"

"Because he could," said Ajax with a shrug, "Because somebody had to and he was best able to do it."

"So what you're saying," Elsa said slowly, "Is that I have to be queen because nobody else can do it?"

"Something along those lines."

"Forgive me if I don't find that particularly comforting."

Ajax laughed. "It doesn't matter much to me. All that matters right now is how you handle the current situation. So, tell me, how do you want to proceed?"

Elsa sighed. "I need information. I need to know how things work out there in this great big world of ours."

"Your spy network," said Ajax with a nod, "Despite my sister's protests, it is a good idea."

"Why doesn't Calypsa think so?"

Ajax sighed, "She desperately wants to see the best of the world. We've traveled the world trying to escape the violence and war. Arendelle was one of the last places left that wasn't militaristic. By establishing a spy network, Arendelle would enter itself into a new age of international politics, one of suspicion and caution. Calypsa just doesn't want to accept that."

"Can you blame her?"

"Of course not. I wish I could deny things as well as she could. But we don't have a choice, if everyone else is stepping up their game, Arendelle has to follow suit. I have contacts around the world that could help get us started. I'll write them tomorrow."

"I need to get started on making more snowmen for our border guards," said Elsa with a sigh.

"For now, get some sleep," said Ajax, "You dragged us out here so we're useless for now."

Elsa stood up. "I'll make you a guest room."

"Don't bother," said Ajax with a wave, "I'm good here. I hear ice is good for a bad back."

Elsa frowned as she walked up her grand stairwell. "Since when do you have a bad back?"

"Since I carried the blade of my super-powered ancestor on my back for a day," Ajax said as he lay prostrate on the ice ground and Elsa walked up to her tower bedroom. One of the walls had melted away, but she was too tired to fix it. Besides, the chill mountain breeze felt comforting as she tucked herself into her bed and fell asleep.

. . .

Aladdin walked with his son to the balcony of his throne room. "I still don't think this is right," Ali Baba said.

"Do you doubt my ability to keep my kingdom safe?" asked Aladdin.

"I didn't mean that, Father," said Ali Baba, "I just want to help, to help our people. You've always taught me that a leader serves his people."

"But you aren't a leader," said Aladdin, "Not yet. I am still Sultan, and so long as I reign, I serve the people, which, until you succeed me, includes you."

"Does that mean you're going to force the people to leave as well?"

"The evacuation has already begun."

Ali Baba looked out over the city and watched as lines of people slowly moving out of the city and into the desert. "Where will they go?"

"I'm making sure that each caravan carries enough food to last them for awhile," said Aladdin sadly, "There are enough nomadic tribes in the desert that chances are good that the caravans will come across them. They'll lead our people to safety in other kingdoms."

"So Agrabah is finished?"

Aladdin slammed a fist down on the railing. "No. We will defend Agrabah to the last man. Once the invaders have been turned away, we will send out messages to nearby kingdoms telling our citizens it's safe to come home."

"Father, if you're sending me away," asked Ali Baba slowly, "What are we doing here?"

Aladdin smiled. "You remember those stories I told you as a child?"

Ali Baba smiled. "Yes, the stories of you and the magic genie. I remember." Aladdin whistled a brief tune that floated gently over the city. It reverberated amongst the hubbub of the evacuating citizens and rang out into the desert.

It took a few moments, but a shadow appeared on the horizon. It moved at speeds no man had been aware existed up to that point, making a beeline for the palace. Ali Baba didn't even have time to turn his head before the shadow tackled his father to the floor of the throne room. "What the-?" He turned and saw his father completely enveloped in a moving, living carpet.

"I missed you too, old friend," laughed Aladdin, "Ali Baba, you remember the magic carpet here, don't you?"

"The stories," Ali Baba's eyes widened in realization, "They were true, all of them. You really did find a genie in a lamp."

"And I really did fly a magic carpet," said Aladdin as he stood up, wrestling the ecstatic rug into submission, "And now, so will you."

Ali Baba stared at the carpet. "Is it safe?" Before Aladdin could respond, the carpet shot under his legs, tripping him onto the rug. It floated over the railing and shot towards the rising sun in the east. "Wait!" shouted Ali Baba, recovering quickly from the shock of flight, "I want to say goodbye."

The carpet did a complete u-turn, nearly throwing Ali Baba off as a result. It shot straight back to the palace where Aladdin was still on the balcony. "Father," Ali Baba called, "Will this be the last time I see you?"

"You mustn't talk like that, Ali Baba," admonished Aladdin, "Bad for moral, you know."

Ali Baba fixed Aladdin with a mournful gaze. Aladdin had avoided the question, which was an answer in and of itself. "I love you, father."

A single tear rolled down Aladdin's cheek. "I love you too, son. Carpet, keep him safe." The carpet gave a salute with its tassels and shot away. Aladdin turned to the opposite direction, where a black line had been forming on the horizon. It grew bigger every day as Fleyaz's army grew and convened together. The attack was imminent; he just wished he knew what they were waiting for.

. . .

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	7. A Scary Rally

Same disclaimers as before.

Chapter 7: A Scary Rally

Elsa awoke to the sun beating down on her as it climbed over the mountains. She breathed in deeply as she slowly sat up in bed. Her hair was completely mussed and her dress was wrinkled, but she didn't care. She got out of bed and walked over to the gaping hole of melted ice. She gazed out over the mountain range, tracing its peeks and valleys. She looked down into the chasm that surrounded her ice palace. It was a very good distance between her and the ground. For a moment, a brief moment, she considered taking a step.

She heard a snore echo through her palace and realized that Ajax was still sleeping in the main hall. She remembered the story he'd told her and quickly stepped away from the hole.

As she walked down her grand staircase, she formed a snowball in her hand and tossed it lazily over Ajax's head. He snorted and started as he twisted himself to his feet. "There are better ways to wake a man," he muttered as he brushed snow off his shoulders. He gripped the hilt of the sword he'd struck into the ground and groaned with effort as he slowly drew it out and latched it too his back. "Well, let's go."

"Go where?" asked Elsa as she walked to the bottom of the stairs.

"Hunting. You're hungry, aren't you?" Elsa's stomach grumbled as a response. Ajax smirked as he pushed open the doors, Elsa right behind him as he walked down the ice steps.

"And how do you intend to hunt?" she asked, "You have one weapon that you can barely use."

"That's all I need." Ajax walked over to the forest and broke a large branch off of a tree. He sat down in the snow and rested his massive sword on his lap. As he began to whittle the branch, the noise of the forest became hushed. Birds chirped to each other nervously and squirrels scampered higher into the trees. Elsa sat next to him and watched him work as the sun grew higher in sky.

"What are you-?"

"Shush," he murmured as he worked. The sun grew higher in the sky as he slowly turned the branch into a sharpened point. As time passed, the noises of the forest returned. A small bird flew overhead and landed nearby, turning its head to peer curiously at the strange people that intruded on its forest.

Faster than a blink of an eye, Ajax tossed his pointed stake at the bird. Elsa flinched and looked away, but the sickening sound and the brief cry of the bird was all she needed to hear to know that the projectile had found its mark. "That's how you catch prey and how you defend your kingdom," said Ajax outside of her line of sight, "You draw them in with a false sense of security while you ready your arsenal. Then, when they breach your borers, you strike without mercy." As he spoke, Elsa groaned as she tried to ignore the sound of breaking joints and ripped feathers.

She looked up and watched the stars as he lit a fire using a rock for a lighter and his ripped sleeves for fuel. "Here," he said after a while, "Eat up." She glanced down and gulped nervously as he saw he was handing her small strips of meat, cooked over the fire with twigs. She gently took one and regarded it cautiously. "You must not fear vistory," Ajax said, "For one thing, it makes your powers uncontrollable." Indeed, the meat was already steaming from her icy touch. She quickly gobbled it and swallowed, trying to ignore the coppery taste.

"Ugh," she gagged, "Never cook for me again."

"To the victor go the spoils," said Ajax with a shrug. They sat in silences as the sun projected its harsh rays on them. Eventually, they heard the clopping sounds of an approaching steed and Kai appeared from the forest with the sleigh.

"Lord Ajax!" he exclaimed, "How did you get here?"

"It doesn't matter," Ajax said as he climbed into the sleigh and helped Elsa in as well. He took off his sword and leaned it against the seat next to him. They slid down the mountain in silence, Ajax watching Elsa out of the corner of his eye while the queen simply watched the countryside fly by. "You have a beautiful country, Queen Elsa," he said quietly.

"But will it stay beautiful?" she asked as they pulled into the city.

"What the heck is going on?" Ajax stood up. Elsa turned and gasped as she saw what had caught his attention. They were pulling past the main square of the city, just outside the castle. The square was filled to the brim with citizens of all ages and sizes. It seemed like the entire kingdom had gathered together. Banners had been strung across the square and a large poster hung over the entrance to the palace. It featured a painting of Elsa in icy armor, standing firm and alone against a demonic foe. Elsa stood up and peered over the crowd to see what they were looking at.

The center of the square had been cleared and several targets set up. The crowd cheered as a cloaked, shadowy figure leapt over their heads and ran along the banners. The figure jumped and twisted, shooting off arrows into all of the targets, each one a perfect bull's-eye. The figure landed in a crouch and bowed to the cheering audience. It pulled back its hood and fluffed out her long, frizzy red hair.

"The queen calls for an army!" cried Merida as the cheers of the crowd died down, "I can teach you to fight like a bear! To fly like an eagle! I can teach you to shoot better than the angels themselves! Will ye join me?" A massive cheer went up from the crowd, the force of their shouting sending Elsa back into her seat. They apparently hadn't noticed their queen behind them, but she decided that was probably for the best.

Shouts of "I volunteer!" and "I will join!" came from men, woman, and children. It seemed the entire country wanted to serve her.

"Kai," she whispered to her driver, "Take the back roads to the rear entrance behind the gardens. Quickly, please."

"Of course, milady," he said, gently urging the horses forwards and away from the ruckus of the crowd. Soon, they were traveling a hidden, winding path that lead into the castle's wine chambers.

As soon as they entered the stables, Elsa hopped out. "Gerta! Bring me a bottle of my father's finest, won't you? I'll be in the throne room."

Ajax smirked as he hefted his blade out of the sleigh. "Are you sure? You've never-"

"After what I just saw," Elsa interrupted grimly, "I'm going to need it."

Ajax shrugged. "Suit yourself. I have letters to write and I need to put this stupid thing back in the closet." He walked off, his sword banging against his back. Elsa walked back to her throne room and arrived just as Gerta did with a dusty bottle of wine and a goblet. Elsa took both from her with thanks and entered the room. Immediately, she popped off the cork from the bottle and sniffed its contents. It smelled deep and fresh, despite the label saying it was from over two hundred years ago. She poured herself a small glass and chugged it back, drinking the whole thing in one gulp. She shivered as the crisp liquid tumbled down her throat.

"Elsa?" the queen turned and smiled at her little sister.

"Hey, Anna. What's up?"

"We missed you at dinner last night. Are you alri-IS THAT WINE?"

Elsa collapsed into her throne and raised her glass. "Tell it to the whole world, why don't you?"

"Elsa! You never drink! Are you okay?"

"Do you know what I saw out in the square?" Elsa asked her sister, "I saw practically every citizen of Arendelle willing to lay down their lives for me. They were one hundred percent ready to die for a woman they barely knew."

"Well, you are their queen," reasoned Anna.

"I've been queen for less than six months! They barely know me!"

"No, but they know what you represent."

"And what do I represent?" asked Elsa, pouring herself another glass.

"Arendelle."

Elsa took a sip and sighed as sunk lower in her throne. "I have an army. I can't really wrap my head around it."

"If it's any consolation," said Anna, stepping forwards and taking the wine from Elsa, "It's not so much an army as a well-armed militia at this point."

"Surprisingly, that doesn't make me feel better."

"No, I suppose it wouldn't," sighed Anna, "Got a spare glass?"

. . .

In a very different throne room in the capital of the kingdom of Corona, a very different conversation was taking place. The crowned prince ducked behind his throne as a chandelier was tossed at him.

"PRINCE EUGENE FITZHERBERT!" screamed his wife, Princess Rapunzel, as she grabbed another candle holder, "HOW DARE YOU?!"

"Punzie! Honey!" he cried as he ducked under her attacks and rolled behind a pillar, "Calm down!"

"You set up an international spy network!" she shouted as she grabbed curtains off a window, "Behind my back! Do you know how stupid you are?!"

"I'm going to assume I'm pretty stupid," muttered Eugene as he ducked under the curtains.

"250 years of peace!" she shouted, falling on her rear as her anger turned to sadness, "Gone in less than a generation because of what? Your insecurity?"

"Naw, babe," said Eugene, peeking out from behind the pillar, "Are you done throwing things at me?"

"For now," she said with a glare, "Why Eugene? We don't need a spy network! Corona's neutral! Why would you risk it?"

"If it helps," he said, coming out to her and sitting down next to her, "I've pulled all my spies."

"Really? Why?"

"A second ago, you were complaining that I have spies. Now you're concerned that I don't?" Eugene smirked.

"Shut up, I'm still mad at you. Now answer my question."

Eugene breathed deeply. If she was mad before, she was going to be furious. "The last report my spy in Fleyaz made before he went missing said they were gunning for world domination, with a particular focus on Arendelle. So I redistributed the spies between Fleyaz and Arendelle."

A few minutes later, Rapunzel's father, the king of Corona peeked his head into his own throne room. "Kids? You're little lover's quarrel over?" A pane of glass Rapunzel had ripped from the window shattered on the door. "I'll take that as a no," he said quietly as he closed the door.

. . .

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	8. The Battle of Agrabah

Same disclaimers as before.

Chapter 8: The Battle of Agrabah

Merida pushed open the door to the throne room as the sun slowly set on the western horizon. "Queen Elsa?" she asked. The pink sky shone in through the window and illuminated a largely empty room. "I was told you'd be in here." A glass shattered on the far wall and Merida instinctively drew her bow and notched an arrow. "Who's there?" An empty wine bottle rolled out from behind the throne and Merida ducked into a roll, landing in a crouch by the throne. She swung around the chair and pulled back the drawstring.

Behind the throne, Elsa and Anna were sitting propped up against the back of the throne, multiple bottles strewn about them. "Oh," slurred Elsa as she saw Merida lower her bow, "Is you."

Anna giggled and pointed a wobbly finger at the Scottish princess. "Hair," she said with a chuckle.

Merida stared at the two girls and the drinks surrounding them. "Are you two drunk?"

"What?" growled Elsa as she struggled to stand, "Never seen someone get drunk before?"

Despite her disappointment, Merida had to smirk. "Oh, I've seen drunken people alright. I just never saw them get drunk when their nation needed them."

Elsa barked a laugh and leaned against the throne. "Arendelle doesn't need me," she groaned as she slipped and fell into her throne, "I guess it needs you."

Merida blinked. "What do you mean?"

Elsa pointed an accusatory finger at Merida. "You…you turned *hic* my country into a military power."

"You asked me for an army and I delivered it to you."

"I didn't think *urp* you could do it in, ugh, one day."

Merida glared at Elsa and rested her bow against the desk in front of the throne with a sigh. "I know what you're going through, Elsa," she said, "You think that because you have a standing army, you're now a military state that doesn't need a diplomatic leader, but a general to lead the way."

"Hammer on the head!" Elsa cheered, "Or nail, or whatever."

Merida rolled her eyes and slapped Elsa across the face. The queen of Arendelle frowned more in confusion than pain. She had never been struck like that before. "You're going to bed, your highness," Merida ordered, "Talk to me in the morning when you've sobered up." Elsa glared at Merida and her hands curled into fists which became encased in ice. Merida raised an eyebrow. "You really think it's a good idea to fight while drunk against a sober archer?"

Elsa relaxed her shoulders. "Sleepy time," she murmured as she headed out the room. Merida folded her arms and leaned back to check behind the throne. Anna was snoring softly, asleep with a smile on her face against the back of the royal chair.

"Lady Merida?" Merida turned to see one of the older servant ladies peering into the throne room.

"Gerta, was it?"

"Yes, milady."

"How did they get all this wine?" Merida kicked one of the bottles at her feet.

"I don't know, milady," said Gerta with a shrug, "I only brought the queen one bottle. How they got so much is beyond me."

Merida rubbed the bridge of her nose and glanced towards the ceiling. "I think I have an idea." Crouching in the rafters were three little boys with thick, curly red hair, giggling at their prank.

. . .

Aladdin winced as an explosion rocked his palace. Surrounding him were servants helping him into some thick battle armor. The wide doors of his throne room burst open as General Mahmud ran in and got down on one knee for his lord. "Sultan Aladdin!" he panted, "Fleyaz forces have breached the city walls! We're holding them back at the bazaar, but there's too many of them!"

"Fear not, old friend," Aladdin said as he stepped out from between his servants. He expertly twirled a scimitar and flipped it into a sheath at his side. "The cavalry is almost here."

"My Lord?"

"Look to the Northern skies, Mahmud!" Aladdin pointed out the balcony and Mahmud turned to see a streak of strangely blue clouds moving towards them.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked with a whisper.

"I always told you a genie owed me a favor," said Aladdin as he walked out of the room, "I never understood why nobody believed me." Mahmud quickly scrambled after his lord and walked briskly behind him.

"What are your orders, sir?"

"Keep the enemy at bay until Genie gets here. Once he arrives, they don't stand a chance."

"Do you truly believe he is so powerful?"

Aladdin swiveled on his general and puffed out his chest. "Do you doubt the mystical powers of the Genie?"

"No! No, my lord!" Mahmud protested, "I just…I have never seen these powers for myself."

"Don't worry, Mahmud, you will." Aladdin continued walking through the palace until he and Mahmud reached the gates. Wounded soldiers were being brought behind the relative safety of the palace walls. They greeted their leader with reverent stares and he replied with a grim smile. Above them, the blue cloud was beginning to roll over the city "It's almost time," said Aladdin, "Call back the troops to the outer walls of the palace. Here is where we make our stand."

Mahmud nodded and went off to fulfill the orders. Aladdin raised his head to the sky and closed his eyes as the blue cloud cracked lightning and rolled thunder. "Please, Genie," he whispered, "For old time's sake." Soldiers rushed by him as they took defensive positions around the palace walls.

For several minutes, the fighting stopped as the Fleyaz army moved through the streets of Agrabah towards the palace. Aladdin tensed up as the first line of enemy troops came into view down the street leading to the palace. They marched forwards in one formation, pikes held forwards. "Steady, men," Aladdin breathed to the soldiers besides him.

"We stand with you, my lord!" hissed a young guard as he gripped the hilt of his blade, "The Army of Agrabah is yours to dispose of!"

Aladdin grinned. "I don't think that will be necessary." The words were barely out of his mouth when a bolt of blue lightning fell from the sky and smashed into the earth at the feet of the advancing soldiers. As one, they turned and ran from an onslaught of magic lightning that rained down behind them. When the volley ceased, the soldiers were nowhere to be seen.

"What now, Lord Aladdin?" Mahmud asked as he kneeled behind his sultan.

"Now we wait," said Aladdin quietly. His eyes scanned the rooftops surrounding the palace entrance for archers and found none. He sighed as he remembered his childhood, running along the same rooftops with stolen goods under his shirt and a baby monkey on his shoulder. That reminded him. "General Mahmud, is the Simian Squad at the ready?"

"They're still a bit rowdy, sir."

"Good. If we need them, we need them bloodthirsty."

"And the messenger, sir?"

"Have him on standby as well."

"Very well, sir."

"Sir!" called a solider, "Look!" Down the street, a single enemy soldier had appeared waving a small, white handkerchief in the air. Aladdin narrowed his eyes and stepped forwards.

"It could be a trap, my lord," hissed Mahmud. Aladdin didn't reply, but instead strolled casually down the street towards the enemy soldier.

"Are you surrendering?" he asked the man, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"No, our Caliph wishes to speak with you. Wait here." The soldier spun on his heels and walked back down the street. Aladdin could see that the Fleyaz forces must have set up a position in the bazaar where the soldier was headed. He stood for a few minutes in silence and solitude before he saw two figures approaching him from the enemy camp. One was a giant of a man with a bald head and bronzed skin. The other was a thin man with a beard and a turban who wore regal robes.

"Caliph Mahmed, I take it?" he asked as they approached.

"Guilty," said the smaller man, "This is my brother, Prince Salam. It is an honor to meet you, Sultan Aladdin. You have proven a worthy leader and opponent."

"I wish I could say the same about you," Aladdin snarled.

Mahmed clucked. "Now is that any way to talk to a fellow leader? I think not. Such behavior is unbecoming of a Sultan, you know."

Aladdin fingered the hilt of his sword. "Do not presume to tell me what is and what is not becoming of a Sultan." He turned and face the stoic Prince Salam. "I heard that Fleyaz had a secret weapon they were using to conquer the Desert Tribes of the South. I have watched you fight from my palace. Most impressive."

Salam bowed his head. "Thank you, Lord Sultan,"

"And polite too. Your brother could learn some lessons from you."

Salam slowly raised his head, his eyes burning with inner light. "Please do not demean my brother in front of me, Lord Sultan."

"And protective? You are a true leader," Aladdin nodded, "I can appreciate someone like you, Salam."

Salam shook his head and took a step back. "My brother is the elder. He is the Caliph of Fleyaz and I am his humble servant."

Mahmed grinned. "So you see, Sultan Aladdin, you haven't a prayer in this battle."

Aladdin arched an eyebrow. "Have you forgotten my ace in the hole?" He pointed up to the blue clouds that roiled overhead. Mahmed watched as the clouds slowly took the shape of a colossal man with glowing eyes and a ponytail with his arms crossed.

"Ah yes," he said with a tired sigh, "The mythical Genie of Aladdin, returned to Agrabah at last. I have my ways of countering such magics." He reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a familiar metal pot.

"I see," said Aladdin as he glared angrily at Mahmed, "You found my old lamp."

"It wasn't easy," said Mahmed, twirling the lamp on his finger, "I had to go through miles of sand to find it, but it was worth it. If I unleash the genie in the lamp, I get three wishes, right? So If I were to say, oh, I don't know, 'I wish every Agrabah citizen were back in Agrabah', I could hypothetically massacre the entire population of your kingdom while I order our genies to fight. And even if your genie wins, I'm willing to bet there will be more than a few casualties in the wake of their battle."

Aladdin snarled and pure hate covered his face. "Genie," he said softly, "Leave us." Faster than they had arrived, the blue clouds over Agrabah dispersed. Mahmed grinned and tossed the lamp to Salam.

"You want to know the best part?" he said quietly, "After I raze Agrabah to the ground, my armies will comb the desert. We'll wipe out any nomads we come across and burn any city in a hundred-mile radius. You were wise to evacuate the city, but it will be for nothing. Your people will die out and be nothing more than a memory."

"There will be one citizen of Agrabah who will yet live," Aladdin sneered as he drew his scimitar. Behind him, his army drew their weapons and crouched into an offensive stance.

Mahmed raised an eyebrow. "Oh yes, your son is headed for China. I almost forgot." He laughed at Aladdin's shocked face. "Don't be so surprised, Aladdin, I've had spies in your city for years."

"Enough of this!" Aladdin shouted, "Armies of Agrabah! Attack!" With a roar of loyalty mixed with desperation, the soldiers surrounding the palace charged forwards, making a small break for their Sultan as he leapt at the enemy Caliph. Salam grabbed Aladdin's sword and it melted from the heat of his palm. Aladdin staggered back and grit his teeth as Salam met his army head on, Fleyaz soldiers from the bazaar charging forwards as well. "So that's why you need Arendelle out of the way," he said to himself, "Mahmud! Release the Simian Squad!"

It took a few moments before anyone heard the screeches over the sounds of battle, but everyone turned to stare when the first monkey vaulted over the palace walls. It was the first of a wave of apes and monkeys that charged over the heads of the Agrabah guards and threw themselves at the enemy, biting and tearing whatever they could get their hands on. They ranged from orangutans to chimpanzees to capuchins, and everything in between. The enemy forces fell back slightly from this primal onslaught and slowly began to retreat. Blood sprayed over the streets as the monkeys went ape and ripped the enemy soldiers apart one by one.

"My lord!" panted Mahmud, blood pouring from a wound on his cheek, "It's working!"

"No," whispered Aladdin sadly, "This is only temporary. Their numbers are too great." Indeed, as he spoke the tide of battle turned when Fleyaz archers scrambled over the rooftops and rained down arrows with expert precision on several of the apes. Aladdin turned and ran towards the palace. "Get me the messenger!" His rear guard cleared for him as he ran through. As he skidded past the palace walls with Mahmud right behind him, he saw what he was looking for, a scrawny man leading a tall and mighty gorilla towards him.

"My liege," bowed the man, "The messenger." He motioned to the gorilla who seemed to be examining the sky with some interest.

"Translate my message," Aladdin panted, "Return to you home." The man cleared his throat and began to speak in grunts and chirps. The gorilla swiveled its head to stare at the human who knew his tongue. "Tell your king what happened here." The man continued to grunt and the gorilla nodded in understanding. "Take him through the catacombs," Aladdin said, "That will get you past enemy lines. If we can get this message to the king of the apes, he can launch an attack from behind. Agrabah will fall, but it may not be too late to stop Fleyaz."

"It's been an honor, Lord Aladdin," bowed the man as he led the gorilla away.

"I hate to say this again," said General Mahmud quietly, "But what now?"

"Now we buy them as much time as possible," said Aladdin grimly, "I-" he was cut off by a ball of fire that engulfed General Mahmud's head. Aladdin staggered back as Mahmud fell to the ground, screaming in agony only briefly before he was released of his pain. Aladdin looked up to see the Caliph and Salam standing on his palace wall. They jumped down and he scrambled backwards, tossing aside his useless sword hilt and drawing his knife.

"You were a good leader, Sultan Aladdin," said Mahmed with false sympathy, "But you were terrible at knowing lies from truths." Salam raised his hand, showing Aladdin the magic lamp. With a simple squeeze of his fist, the lamp crumpled into scrap metal and he dropped it on the ground.

"You never found the lamp," Aladdin said, realizing he'd been duped.

"Far too much work. I don't think it really would have been worth it to find it anyway. Besides, I really only needed it so you would get rid of your genie."

"You're a monster."

"No, I'm a politician."

"Same thing."

Mahmed laughed and drew his sword. "You have me there. Salam?" Salam nodded and his fist became engulfed in flame. He grunted as he jumped forwards and grabbed Aladdin's hand. The Sultan cried out and pulled back his hand, dropping his knife. That was all Mahmed needed to strike.

. . .

Ali Baba had discovered something very interesting in his long flight on the magic carpet. He hated heights. Hated them with a passion. He spent almost the entire flight with his head down, praying that he would survive the trip, stopping only occasionally so he could vomit from fear over the side of the carpet. He doubted the carpet itself cared, it seemed far too happy to be of service once more that it probably didn't care about the discomfort of its passenger.

That being said, Ali Baba had to admit that when he did look down, as frightening as it was, he saw nothing but beautiful countryside as far as the eye could see. In the distance, mountains jutted into the air, as if challenging the wind to blow them over. Fruitful plains and rice patties stretched out for miles in every direction.

After almost a day of traveling at high speeds, the carpet veered sharply and Ali Baba was nearly thrown off. "Careful you crazy rug!" he shouted as he gripped the tassels on the corners of the rug. It took a sudden, deep dive and Ali Baba screamed in fear and closed his eyes. He couldn't see anything so it came as quite a shock when he hit the water. He scrambled to the surface and gasped for breath. Looking around, he saw that he was in some kind of pond in the middle of a lovely garden. On a hill by the island was a small gazebo where the carpet hovered.

As Ali Baba crawled to the shore, an elderly woman walked out from the gazebo,

hunched over a cane with her long, grey hair tied behind her head. "Hello dear," she said in a kindly voice as she helped Ali Baba to his feet, "You must be Aladdin's little boy. So nice to meet you. Come, I'll make us a stir fry."

"Um, who are you?" Ali Baba asked in a daze.

"I'm Hua Mulan, darling. Your father and I fought the Mongols together back in the good old days. Do you like tea, dear?"

. . .

Please review!


	9. A Conference of Evil

Same disclaimers as before.

Chapter 9: A Conference of Evil

Elsa cracked open her eyes and immediately winced. She scrunched her face together as the sunlight coming through her window pierced her eyeballs. It felt like twin hammers coming through her skull and hitting her brain. "Ugh."

"I imagine you must be in pain," Elsa turned over in her bed and immediately regretted it. Her entire world spun and she had to swallow to keep herself from vomiting. Merida was sitting with her arms folded at Elsa's vanity. "The last time I saw anyone that drunk was at the last Meeting of the Four Clans."

"Softer," Elsa whispered. Her voice felt like a drum in her head. Her very bones shook in pain. "What happened?"

Merida smirked. "Me brothers. Wee devils they are. They stowed away on me ship and escaped into the city. It looks like they found you and your sister drinking in the throne room and kept refilling your glasses when you weren't looking."

"Mmm," Elsa groaned, "Never been drunk before. Is this a hangover?"

"Yup. Fun, isn't it?" Elsa rolled to the side and gasped as she fell out of her large bed and hit the floor with a thumb.

"Would it be out of the question if I asked you to kill your brothers?"

Merida laughed and Elsa covered her ears with a grimaced. "Kill? Not a chance. But if you asked me to horribly maim and disfigure them, I'd entertain the idea."

Elsa slowly got to her feet. She wobbled for a moment before falling over. Merida continued to laugh as Elsa tried to stand again only for the same result. "It is said that

poor Sisyphus was doomed to push a boulder up a hill for all eternity," Elsa and Merida turned to see Ajax hobbling in the doorway, "It appears you're in the same predicament."

"Lord Ajax," greeted Merida solemnly, "Are you alright this morning?"

Ajax stood up straight and his spine cracked audibly. "Sounds like a storm's

coming," he said with a grunt, "Regardless, pick up the queen."

Elsa and Merida blinked and stared at each other before turning back to Ajax and saying, as one, "Come again?"

"Pick up the queen, Princess Merida," said Ajax, "She cannot stand on her own, so she needs your help." Merida reluctantly leaned down to grab Elsa's arm and wrapped it over her shoulder.

Elsa glared at Ajax. "Care to explain why you feel the need to humiliate me?"

"Care to explain why you felt the need to get drunk at a time like this?"

"It wasn't my fault. Some little brats kept refilling my glass."

"Doesn't matter to me," he said with a shrug, "Calypsa's making her hangover cure. Trust me, she'll have some words to say to you later. In the meantime, why don't you wake up the princess?" Ajax walked away down the hall. Merida grunted as she hefted Elsa around her shoulder. Elsa winced as the sudden motion made her stomach twirl.

"Where is the princess's room?" asked the Scottish princess.

"Down hall," Elsa groaned, "To the left." Merida carried her down the hall as a few servants gave them either chastising or humorous looks. "Here," Elsa motioned to her sister's door. Merida pushed open the door and looked in.

"Huh," she muttered as she pulled her head back out, "I think we should let the princess sleep."

"Kristoff was in there?"

"I'm not sure who Kristoff is, but there was a good looking lad in the princess's

bed."

"That's Kristoff. Let the love birds sleep. Can you get me to the bathroom?"

Merida half-carried, half-dragged her along towards the royal bathrooms. "So, the princess has a lad, what about you?"

"No, I haven't exactly been looking though."

"Well, that's a shame."

"I like to think I don't need a man to be a fully-functioning woman."

"You don't, but having someone who loves you is one of the great joys of life."

"Anna loves me."

"That's not what I meant."

"I've had this conversation before," Elsa said with a slight wave of her hand, "Besides, do you have a man in your life?" Merida was silent, but a knowing smile crept across her face. They reached the bathroom and Merida helped Elsa inside. The entire room was covered in a layer of pristine porcelain, including the sink, toilet, and bath. "I can take it from here," said Elsa.

"Good," Merida slung Elsa's arm off her shoulder and the queen fell to the ground. Merida grinned as she closed the doors behind her and Elsa glared after her. "Oh, she's just asking to be frozen," she muttered as she slowly stood up and stumbled over to the toilet.

Ten minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom with ragged breath. "I think I'm better now," she said to Merida who was leaning on the wall across from the door.

"Tell that to her," Merida nodded to the side and Elsa turned. Before she could even blink, Calypsa had yanked open her mouth and poured some green, slimy liquid down her throat.

"Ach!" yelped Elsa as the scalding liquid ran through her body, "What was that?"

"My famous hangover cure," huffed Calypsa.

"It tastes like carrot juiced mixed with leather and horseradish!"

Calypsa grinned. "The secret ingredient is love. Now, care to explain to me why you got drunk when your country needs you alert and available?"

Elsa threw up her hands. "I went over this with Ajax, alright? It wasn't my fault! It was Merida's brothers!"

Calypsa blinked and laughed. "What? These three angels?" She stepped aside to reveal three small, red-headed young boys behind her, each with their arms folded behind them and with cherubic grins on their faces.

Elsa glared at each of them in turn. "Angels, huh? I've heard different."

"They've been helping me in the kitchen all morning with your cure," said Calypsa with a smirk, "They even added a few ingredients I'd never thought of."

"I'm sure they did," Merida's face was turning red from the effort of not laughing, "What exactly did they add?"

"Well, according to them, you Scots have discovered that lizard eyes are good for digestion, so I added a few of those. They also told me to mix in some toad liver as it would revitalize the kidneys. Not to mention-" Here, Elsa spun around and ran back into the bathroom. Merida lost control of herself and began to laugh uproariously. Calypsa stared at her strangely until she calmed down.

"Lizard eyes," she said as he laughed died away, "Oh those little demons."

"So, I've been had?" said Calypsa with slumped shoulders.

"If it makes you feel any better, this isn't the worst prank they pulled."

Calypsa sighed. "Oh well, no harm done I suppose."

Merida arched her eyebrow. "Oh? I guess you haven't checked you kitchen's sugar and sweets supply since they entered it." The three boys glared at their sister and took off helter-skelter down the halls. Calypsa frowned and started after them. "Don't bother," Merida called after her, "They're experts at finding places to hide!"

"I know every inch of this castle!" Calypsa screamed as she rounded the corner, "I'll head them off in the gallery!"

Merida shook her head as she watched them leave. "Lady Merida," she turned and Saw Ajax hobbling up behind her.

"Lord Ajax, what is it?"

"Most of the kingdom has assembled outside the gates of the palace, calling for you."

Merida cracked her neck. "Right, time to go to work." She started for the main courtyard, but stopped at the end of the hallway. She turned back and bit her lip.

"There a problem, Lady Merida?" asked Ajax with a sigh. He had been expecting this ever since she had learned his name.

"M-me Da used to tell me stories about the mighty warrior Ajax," she said, "I must ask…is it true you slew a thousand Hun warriors at the battle of the Great Wall all those years ago?"

Ajax rolled his eyes. "It was only seven thousand and some hundred. They were largely untrained and mostly used poorly-forged weapons. I'd hardly call it a claim to fame."

"Then what about the stories that say you defeated the giant whale Monstro during a storm?"

"I thought he was a rock. I was just trying to anchor the ship to something."

"And the time you fought a duel against the Dark Fariy of the Isles? Was that a fluke?"

Ajax hesitated and his eyes clouded over. "No," he whispered, "That was the hardest day of my life."

. . .

Miles and miles away, a tall woman sat in a chair, gazing at a crystal ball where she watched the conversation between Ajax and Merida unfold. One hand caressed the orb with slender fingers. The other hand was curled into a fist. "As it was for me," she murmured as she waved her hand, dispersing the ball into smoke.

"Don't worry, my dear," The woman didn't have to turn to see the smirk on the red skinned magician's face as he entered the room, "Your vengeance will come soon."

"Silence, genie, you are unworthy to be dispensing petty reassurances to the likes of me."

"Easy honey," said a third voice. On the far side of the room, the wall seemed to melt and a large woman clambered through, supported not by legs, but by eight large tentacles, "He's only trying to help. In his…snaky way."

"You know me so well, Ursula," said the red man as he sat down next to the woman. His forked tongue flicked out of his mouth as he tasted the air.

"Only because I hate you, Jafar. Know thine enemy and all that jazz."

"Silence, the both of you!" hissed the woman, "My head aches at your sheer presence. Besides, we have company." The wall across from her opened once more and Mahmed stepped through. He immediately fell to the floor with a bow.

"My lord and ladies," he said humbly, "Everything is going according to plan. With the powers you have vested upon my brother, the armies of Fleyaz are unstoppable."

"Are you certain about that?" asked Jafar, "I once believed myself unconquerable, but I was defeated by a young street rat in my arrogance."

Ursula barked a laugh. "That story never gets old."

"Rest assured, Lord Jafar," said Mahmed, "Aladdin is dead."

Jafar took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Pity," he murmured, "I hoped to kill him myself. Oh well, Hades owes me a favor, I can convince him to add some punishment to his eternal soul." His eyes opened. "And his son?"

"He flees to China, my lord, our next target as we move east."

"Well that's your vengeance satisfied," grumbled Ursula, "What about mine? China is nowhere near the Atlantic!"

"Once China is ours, we will retrace our steps through Asia, Lady Ursula," said Mahmed, "It will re-establish our control over those lands and will bring us to the Mediterranean Sea. From there, we will conquer Greece and the other lands as we head to the Atlantic."

"Hmm, very good then."

"And mine?" asked the woman softly, "When will my vengeance be delivered unto me?"

"Ajax hides himself away in Arendelle, Lady Maleficent," said Mahmed with a gulp, "I do not believe we have sufficient power to challenge the Ice Queen."

Maleficent nodded and stood up, her pet raven, Diablo, landing on her shoulder as he few down from the rafters. "Proceed then."

. . .

A lone gorilla charged through the desert for several days and nights. He huffed and panted as the harsh sun rained down on him and gulped down his own sweat during the chilly nights. It seemed like it took forever, but he finally saw what he was looking for: the end of the desert.

Before him now stretched the savannah and he stopped to eat some grass before he continued on his way. Against the horizon, he could see Pride Rock, the massive monument to the lion pride of the Serengeti. With a gulp of exhaustion and anxiety, the gorilla gave the rock a wide berth.

It took him all day, but he finally crossed the savannah by taking a shortcut through the elephant graveyard. A few hyenas had watched him from the bones, but he growled and bared his fangs, making them back away.

At long last, he saw a blessed sight: the abrupt edge of the jungle. He hobbled into its cooled depths and sighed in relief as he scampered up a tree. He took a deep sniff and grunted as he smelled his king in the distance. He leapt to a vine and swung forwards to another one. A few hours of swinging later, he saw another gorilla in front of him. Then another, and another. Soon, he was surrounded by his ilk.

It was night by the time he reached the center of the jungle. Apes and monkeys of all shapes and sizes were retiring to their respective nests with their families. All of the nests surrounded a massive tree in the middle of a clearing. Atop the tree was a large tree house where the king lived. The gorilla scrambled up the tree, all eyes drawn to his form.

He reached the tree house and knocked politely at the door. After a moment, the door opened and a large, female gorilla poked her head out. "Yes?"

"Kala, I must see the Silverback!"

The gorilla winced. "You know he hates to be called that."

"Kala!"

"Right, right," Kala opened the door and helped the limping gorilla into the room. It was a large tree house with wide rooms and space. The floor was dotted in red blood and leaves floated down from the ceiling. In the middle of the room, a muscular, human male was sitting cross-legged on a low table. His skin was sun tanned and his long, brown hair had been rolled into dreadlocks and tied away from his face. In his lap was a rock that he had sharpened to a point. He seemed to be wrapping it to a long stick with a rope of vine.

"What is it, mother?" he asked in the language of apes.

"The gorilla you sent to Agrabah has returned, Tarzan."

Tarzan looked up and flipped off the table. "Silverback Tarzan," the gorilla bowed.

"You know I don't like to be called that," growled Tarzan, "What news from Agrabah?"

"It is fallen," said the gorilla, "Overtaken by the armies of the desert kingdom to the north and west."

Tarzan scowled. "And?"

"That's it, Tarzan."

"And I suppose Aladdin wants me to lead an army of gorillas to the rear of the desert kingdom?"

"I…I don't know."

"Of course he does," Tarzan spun his new spear and chucked it into the floor, "He and his silly idea about restraining evil. If he thinks I'm going to endanger my people just to postpone an army so that another army has time to prepare for the first army, then he is sorely mistaken."

"So…we will not avenge Agrabah? But…but they've been sending us bananas and keeping other humans from our jungles for years."

Tarzan grunted. "We have no obligation to help."

The gorilla stared at his leader and Kala rested a hand on his shoulder. "Let it go," she whispered to him, "Let it go."

"If that is your wish…my king," said the gorilla as he backed out through the door.

. . .

Please review!


	10. Agrabah Fallen

Same disclaimers as before.

Chapter 10: Agrabah Fallen

Elsa glared at the parchment before her. "I really am starting to hate these people."

Ajax sat in the corner. Instead of whittling stakes of wood, he was sharpening axes and swords on a grindstone. "Problems, my queen?"

Elsa glanced up at him and flicked a beam of ice at him. It struck the grindstone and the wheel froze over, latching the sword to it. Ajax let go of the sword with a sigh. "It was distracting," muttered Elsa as she turned back to her papers, "Why must you do that anyway?"

"There aren't any good swordsmiths in Arendelle," grunted Ajax, "We have blacksmiths, but they can't make anything more spectacular than horseshoes. Take a look at this." He tossed a spare blade at the wall. It landed between several of the many holes that Ajax had made in the plaster with his stakes. Instead of piercing the wall, it bounced off and clattered to the floor. "Flattened metal sticks," Ajax spat, "Pitiful, Merida needs me to sharpen them or your army might as well be flailing horse whips at their enemies."

"What happened to all the weapons we got from Scotland?"

"I think you underestimate the size of your army," Ajax smirked, "We still have a few hundred troops to arm."

"And you couldn't do that outside?"

Ajax grinned. "And miss the look on your face when you read that letter? Never."

Elsa stood up and crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it in the air. She shot a spike of ice at it and it pierced through the paper, latching it to a rafter in the ceiling. "Stupid Southern Isles," she snorted as she sat down.

Ajax leaned back in his chair as he chipped ice off of his grindstone. "Interesting," he looked up at the letter, "I wonder if your ice will melt first, or if the parchment will dissolve."

"It doesn't matter," Elsa sneered, "They offend my family for the last time. Hans broke my sister's heart, and now his father offers me funds for a stronger military in return."

Ajax sighed in frustration and smashed the grindstone against the floor. The ice covering it cracked apart and scattered across the floor, along with most of the grindstone itself. "Be grateful," he said as he kicked aside what was left of his weaponry, "It means he doesn't have spies in the kingdom. If he did, he'd know your reluctance to having a standing army."

"I'll call that a silver lining," said Elsa dryly. From beyond the door to her throne room, there was a sudden bang and a din followed.

Ajax glanced up as the yelling got closer. "Maybe you shouldn't have destroyed my grindstone," he said softly as he picked up a pair of blunt axes.

The door burst open and a small crowd of people ran into the room. Several palace guards and servants were trying to hold back Merida, her brothers, and three oddly dressed young men in kilts, all of them arguing loudly.

"My apologies, your highness," pleaded Kai as he broke away from the group, "I told them to make an appointment, but they would not listen."

Elsa gripped the arms of her throne and ground her teeth. "They will listen to me!" she hissed as she stood up. With a stomp of her foot, a wave of ice spread across the floor. It spiraled out in a hexagonal pattern to the walls and it crept up to the ceiling. The intruders of her throne room slowly became silenced as they watched the layer of frost grew to the rafters, slowly circling around the melting ice stake and balled up paper. As the ice covered the spike, it broke free of the rafters and it fell with a clink on the ground.

"Huh," remarked Ajax, "I guess that answers that question."

"Now," said Elsa as she cracked her fingers, "I am having a very bad day. You three," she pointed at Merida's young brothers, "Out. Now." They glared at her, but Merida slapped them upside each of their heads in turn. With angry glances all around, they dashed out of the room.

Ajax dropped his axes and rubbed his forehead. "Those boys will tear this castle to the ground, mark my word."

"Duly noted," Elsa growed, "Merida, who are your friends?"

Merida stepped forwards and knelt down. "Queen Elsa," she said, "Allow me to introduce Princes Macintosh," a young man with blue war-paint wrapped around his body bowed low, "MacGuffin," a large boy in many layers of cloth knelt down, "And Dingwall." The last young man was dressed in a simple kilt and over-cloth. He stared into the distance with a contented smile. MacGuffin grabbed him by the sleeve and yanked him down to his knees.

"Oh great," Elsa groaned, "More Scots."

"You need to hear what they have to say," said Merida urgently, "They were taking the rest of our weapon's shipment to Agrabah."

Elsa sighed. "Very well then, what news from Agrabah?"

MacGuffin stood up and hung his head. "Agrabah," he said softly, "Wedi mynd, mi wraig."

Elsa leaned back slightly and blinked. "Come again?"

Macintosh rolled his eyes and stood up, patting MacGuffin on the shoulder. "I have no idea what he just said, but Agrabah is fallen, my lady," he said in an even thicker accent than Merida's. Elsa sucked in breath. Her heart skipped a beat and she glanced at Merida. The Scottish princess had dried streaks of tears on her cheeks.

MacGuffin grunted. "Dyna beth yr wyf newydd ei ddweud," he muttered.

"Explain," said Elsa firmly, "Tell me everything."

"We were sailing along the desert coast when we saw it," said Macintosh grimly, "A smoke cloud to the south east, right over Agrabah. We sent out a search party to see what was wrong. We couldn't even get within a mile of the city."

"What happened?" asked Ajax.

"There was an army," Macintosh grimaced, "It was enormous. We could barely see Agrabah, or what was left of it."

"What was left of it?" Elsa whispered.

"They burned it," Merida whimpered, "They burned it to the ground."

"That's not the worst of it," sighed Macintosh grimly, "There was a hundred-foot pike where the palace used to be. Sultan Aladdin…"

He looked away and clenched his fists. Merida gulped down a sob and fresh tears emerge from the corners of her eyes. "May the will o'the wisps help his spirit find peace."

"We didn't know what to do," continued Macintosh, "We just brought the weapons back here."

For a few moments, there was silence as the inhabitants of the room drank in the information. "The army you saw," said Ajax, "How large?"

"Immeasurable," grunted Macintosh, "It stretched as far as we could see to the east and south. It looked like they were preparing to move east."

"How did you avoid getting caught?"

"I made a sandcastle," said Dingwall sleepily, "It was big enough to hide us."

Elsa stood up and paced. "Now what?" she murmured.

"We'll leave the weapons we were taking to Agrabah," said Macintosh, "They were paid for in advance and we, ah, don't have anyone to refund. We'll head back to Scotland and inform King Fergus. You can expect a letter from him in a week or so. I imagine he'll want to collaborate with you on the ramifications of the fall of Agrabah."

Elsa nodded slowly. "Very well," she said, "I thank you for delivering such unfortunate news. I did not know Sultan Aladdin nor have I corresponded with him, but I have long heard of his wisdom and devotion to his people, signs of a true leader. The world mourns his passing."

"Lovely," said Ajax with a nod, "I think the queen has had enough for today. She needs some space."

The Scottish princes and servants bowed low and backed out of the room. As he left, MacGuffin turned back sheepishly and bowed low. "Os nad ydych yn meddwl I mi ddweud hynny, yr ydych yn llygad hyfryd, eich Uchelder." With that, he slowly closed the door behind him.

Ajaw shook his head with a sigh. "And I thought the princess was bad."

Merida slowly sank to her knees and stared blankly into the distance. Elsa walked to her and knelt in front of her. "Merida," she whispered as she helped the princess to her feet, "I'm so sorry. I know you and the Sultan were close."

Merida nodded and snorted as she wept. "I'm s-sorry you have t-too see me in th-this state, Queen E-Elsa."

"Think nothing of it," Elsa murmered as she embraced Merida, "Ajax, take the princess to her room and have some cocoa delivered to her." The old warrior eased Merida out of Elsa's arms and huddled her out of the room.

"Care to come out?" sighed Elsa.

"Oh man!" Olaf snapped as he waddled out from behind her throne, "How's you know I was there?"

"You have a snow cloud that constantly follows you everywhere you go, Olaf," Elsa said with a soft smile, "It was pretty obvious. What were you doing back there?"

"Well," said Olaf excitedly, "Last night, I saw Kristoff helping Anna through the castle and I asked if they wanted to play a game! I mean, the sky was awake, so I was awake, so I had to play! So Kristoff said he'd play hide-and-seek with me. I hid behind your throne and I've been waiting for him to find me for, like, thirteen hours ago. Am I good at this game or what!"

Elsa laughed at Kristoff's little ploy. "Well, don't worry. I won't tell Kristoff where to find you."

"Oh! Thanks Elsa!" Olaf scooted behind the throne as Elsa giggled and slipped out the door. She rolled her shoulders as she headed towards her room and cringed as her shoulder blades rubbed against her spine.

"Need another massage?"

Elsa spun around. "Anna!"

Anna walked from a side hall and forced her sister to turn around. "God, these knots are so tough, sailors have names for them," she chuckled as she felt Elsa's back.

"Spare me your wit," Elsa said dryly as Anna's slender fingers slowly unwound the tensions spots in her shoulders, "I think it's the throne. The back is too uncomfortable."

"Yeah, well," Anna grinned as she spun her sister around and looked her in the eye, "I imagine it wasn't build for dresses made of ice."

"True. Wanna grab chocolates from the kitchen?"

"Too late. Merida's brothers just stole the last of our chocolate reserves."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. Nobody knows how they got in, though. Calypsa's taken up a permanent post since they first began stealing stuff," Anna paused and rubbed her arm, "Listen, Elsa, can we talk?"

Elsa smiled kindly. "Of course, Anna, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," said Anna quickly, "It's just…last time I talked to you about this kind of thing, it didn't end well."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Kristoff proposed, right?"

Anna wrung her hand nervously. "How'd you know?"

"I felt your ring," said Elsa, rubbing her shoulder, "It felt pretty heavy. Can I see?" Anna grinned and practically shoved her right hand in Elsa's face. Elsa gasped as she gazed at it. On her ring finger as a simple golden band with a diamond embedded in it. The diamond was fairly large and was decorated with ornate carvings of falling snowflakes.

"Kristoff bought it from Wandering Oaken," she said proudly, "He did the carvings himself."

"Anna, it's beautiful!" Elsa exclaimed as Anna retracted her hand.

"Soooooo, um…" she said hesitantly.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "You didn't just meet Kristoff, Anna. Your judgment in men has improved significantly since that night. You two have my blessing." Anna squealed and hugged Elsa so tightly, the queen was afraid it might melt off her ice dress. "Tell you what," she said as she pulled away, "I'll tell the kitchen to make us a feast tonight. I'll make it official then."

"Elsa," breathed Anna, "I can't tell you how much this means to me!"

"You don't have too," Elsa said with a grin, "With everything that's gone wrong in the last few days, it's good to know that good things still exist in this world."

. . .

Ali Baba had been awoken rudely before, but he had never been awoken by a small, aging, Asian woman with a bucket of water. "W-what was that?" he sputtered as he kicked his legs around in the cot he had been given for a bed.

"The sun rises in two hours," said Mulan firmly, "Time to get up."

Ali Baba looked out the window and saw only the very edges of sunlight coming over the eastern horizon. "You're kidding me, right?" he muttered.

"I don't joke," she said with a wide grin, "Now get up before I see if I can land an arrow through your window from across the pond. Oh, wait," she leaned down next to the cot and rubbed the ground, where multiple arrowhead-sized scratched lined the dirt floor, "Looks like I already have."

Ali Baba groaned and rolled out of bed. "What do you want me up so early for, anyway?"

"Training."

Ali Baba stared at her. "You? Train me?" As he started to stand, Mulan kicked a broom out form the corner. She twirled it expertly and jabbed Ali Baba in the chest before knocking his legs out from under him. He hit the ground with a grunt and glared up at his host while she swept the floor innocently. "I've already had training," he said as he stood up and dusted himself off, "I was taught swordsmanship and archery by the finest masters in Agrabah."

"And where are those masters now?" asked Mulan with a raised eyebrow.

Ali Baba opened his mouth to protest, but slowly closed his mouth when he realized what she meant. "Father," he said softly, "Agrabah…it's gone. My teachers, they're all gone."

"And yet, China prevails," said Mulan dryly, "I think we can assume something from that."

Ali Baba scowled. "China has not been up against the might of the Fleyaz."

"No," said Mulan, "But it has been up against the Huns. I myself disabled the entire Hun army with a single dragon cannon."

"They couldn't have been much of a threat if a single woman could destroy them," snorted Ali Baba as he threw on a tunic.

"Technically, it took an entire avalanche," said Mulan, "But I see your point. We have also fought off the Mongolians with your father."

"Yes," Ali Baba said as Mulan lead her through her villa, "Father told me of their ferocity. They were a fearsome enemy."

"Really?" said Mulan with genuine surprise, "The Emperor sent me, my husband, and a few of our friends. We chased half the Mongolian army all the way to the frozen north." Mulan sighed as they passed a portrait of an old man who Ali Baba assumed was her husband. "Good times. How many did Agrabah send again? A hundred men?"

Ali Baba glanced to the side. "Hundred fifty. Plus a cavalry. And three catapults."

"Mmm," said Mulan smugly, "That's right. I remember now." As they walked out of the villa, Mulan led Ali Baba into the garden. She deftly plucked a bamboo pole and smacked her guest upside the head with it.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Arm yourself, fool!" she said sternly, flipping a bamboo rod from the ground into Ali Baba's hand. He sighed as he adapted a defensive stance, preparing himself for the oncoming beating.

. . .

Eugene slowly pushed open the doors of the bedroom he shared with his wife. Rapunzel was standing on the balcony, an easel before her with a half-finished painting of the Coronean skyline on the canvas. She turned back to see her husband entering the room. "Honey, can you tell me what's wrong with this?" she looked back at her painting and gazed at it with a critical glare, "It's missing something, but I can't put my finger on it." Eugene didn't reply and simply stared off into space as he walked towards their large bed. He collapsed on it with his face buried in the pillow. "Eugene?" Rapunzel approached him and gently stroked his back as she lay down besides him, "What's wrong, honey?"

Eugene slowly lifted his head off the pillow. "It's Agrabah," he said, "We just got a letter from Prince Achmed. Hundreds of refugees are flooding his city. It appears…it appears Agrabah has been destroyed."

Rapunzel gazed out of their window. "Was it the Fleyaz?" she asked softly.

"My spies haven't reported back yet, but I suspect so, yes."

"Fleyaz is on the warpath," Rapunzel murmured as she fell into bed next to her husband, "What does this mean?"

Eugene rolled over and hugged his wife tightly. "I don't know," he breathed, "But I'm pretty sure this is only the beginning."

. . .

Please review!

Also, MacGuffin's lines are as follows.

Line 1: Agrabah is fallen, my lady.

Line 2: That's what I just said, jerk.

Line 3: If you don't mind me saying so, you are quite lovely, your highness.


End file.
